BHUBANESWAR/KATHMANDU, Oct 27 — Thousands of people were evacuated along India's eastern coast, and some train services were cancelled, one day before a severe cyclone is scheduled to make landfall, bringing gusting winds and heavy rain.
In neighbouring Nepal, authorities cautioned tourists against venturing into high-altitude areas, fearing Cyclone Arnab could trigger torrential downpours, snowstorms and avalanches in the Himalayan region from Thursday (October 29) night through Saturday (October 31).
The risks come at a time when the mountainous country is starting to recover from a deadly flash flood in August, which killed about 1,500 people.
Earlier today, the Indian Meteorological Department said that Arnab, which formed over the Bay of Bengal, has intensified since yesterday.
It is expected to make landfall in the southern coastal state of Andhra Pradesh by tomorrow morning, bringing strong winds and intense showers to parts of the state and neighbouring Odisha.
Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority's managing director Prakhar Jain told Reuters that nearly 50,000 people had been moved to shelters from vulnerable areas by last night, out of 400,000 estimated to need evacuation.
"Evacuation is continuing," he said.
Meanwhile, Odisha's Special Relief Commissioner Rajesh Prabhakar Patil told Reuters that no evacuations have occurred in the state so far. Odisha had already announced closure of schools and colleges in five districts for today and tomorrow.
Television showed waves crashing on deserted beaches and shuttered shops lining the streets in affected areas.
On social media, regional railway authorities announced that at least 12 trains were cancelled in the east, while rail services on 53 routes along the southern coast were suspended for today and tomorrow.
The Bay of Bengal is one of the world's major regions for tropical cyclones, which makes India's eastern coast particularly vulnerable to sea-linked weather disasters.
