Cyclone Arnab hits India's Andhra Pradesh state as tens of thousands are evacuated

Cyclone Arnab battered India’s eastern state of Andhra Pradesh with heavy rain and caused extensive damage in some areas after tens of thousands of people were evacuated from coastal zones. Prakhar Jain, head of the state disaster management authority, said the cyclone weakened slightly before landfall earlier Wednesday but still delivered heavy to very heavy rainfall across several coastal districts, disrupting affected areas. Officials later reported no casualties, while damage assessments were underway. Wind speeds reached up to 135 kph (84 mph) by late Wednesday morning, and authorities expected further weakening as the storm moved inland. The worst impact so far was in Konaseema, where banana and coconut plantations suffered extensive damage, trees and electricity poles were uprooted, and roads were blocked by fallen debris. Officials said about 6,000 electric poles were knocked down in Konaseema alone. Heavy rainfall also flooded low-lying parts of Visakhapatnam. At least 89,000 people had been evacuated, more than 12 million live along the expected path, and over 2,000 cyclone shelters were set up across 20 districts. In Odisha, officials planned to evacuate about 48,000 people.