India evacuates thousands as Cyclone Arnab approaches eastern coast

India has begun moving tens of thousands of people to safety as Cyclone Arnab strengthens over the Bay of Bengal, with the storm forecast to strike the eastern coast by Wednesday morning, Al Jazeera reported.

Warnings cover the coastal states of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.

Where will Cyclone Arnab make landfall?

The India Meteorological Department expects Cyclone Arnab to move northwest and cross the coast by 11:30am local time on Wednesday. The storm was located about 260 kilometers (160 miles) southeast of Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh’s most populous city.

Sustained winds of 115 to 125 kilometers per hour (71 to 78 miles per hour) are forecast.

The agency said the storm had reached "very severe" cyclonic intensity. Gusts are expected to reach 140 kph (87 mph) as Arnab moves ashore.

What is India doing ahead of Cyclone Arnab’s landfall?

More than 12 million people live along the storm’s projected path inland and northward, according to Andhra Pradesh’s disaster management authority. By Monday night, nearly 50,000 people had been relocated to shelters in vulnerable parts of the state, out of an estimated 400,000 requiring evacuation.

The authority’s managing director, Prakhar Jain, told Reuters: “Evacuation is continuing.” In neighboring Odisha, officials have announced plans to evacuate 48,000 people from areas at risk, according to local newspaper The Hindu.

Transport services have also been disrupted ahead of the storm. Railway authorities said on social media that at least 12 trains had been cancelled in eastern India, while services on 53 routes along the southern coast were suspended for Tuesday and Wednesday.

Could Cyclone Arnab affect Nepal?

The storm’s potential impact could extend beyond India’s coastline. Nepalese authorities have advised tourists to avoid high-altitude areas, warning that Arnab could bring heavy rainfall, snowstorms and avalanches to the Himalayas from Thursday night through Saturday.

The advisory follows a devastating flash flood in the Himalayan region of Nepal in August that killed about 1,500 people.