Another severe cyclone looms over Andhra

Another severe cyclonic storm is likely to cross the Andhra Pradesh coast on November 3. Days after a very severe cyclonic storm 'Arnab' hit the coast, causing widespread damage, the state is bracing for another cyclone.

The severe cyclonic storm in the Bay of Bengal, with a wind speed of 100 to 110 kmph gusting at 120 kmph, is likely to cross the coast between Nellore and Narsapur by the morning of November 3.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the depression in the Bay of Bengal intensified on Sunday.

The IMD, in a bulletin on Sunday morning, said the depression over the Southeast Bay of Bengal moved west-northwestwards with a speed of 23 kmph during the past six hours, intensified into a deep depression and lay centered at 0530 hours of November 1 over the Southeast and adjoining Southwest Bay of Bengal.

It was at a distance of about 700 km east-southeast of Chennai (Tamil Nadu), 770 km south-southeast of Vishakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), 770 km southeast of Machilipatnam (Andhra Pradesh) and 810 km east-southeast of Ongole (Andhra Pradesh). It is very likely to move west-northwestwards and intensify into a cyclonic storm over the Southwest and adjoining Westcentral Bay of Bengal during the next six hours and into a severe cyclonic storm over Westcentral Bay of Bengal on November 2.

“Continuing to move west-northwestwards, it is very likely to cross the south Andhra Pradesh coast as a Severe Cyclonic Storm with wind speed of 100 to 110 kmph gusting at 120 kmph between Nellore and Narsapur by the morning of 3rd November 2026,” said the IMD bulletin.

Very severe cyclonic storm ‘Arnab’ crossed the Andhra Pradesh coast near Narsapur in the early hours of October 28, with the maximum sustained wind speed of 125-135 kmph gusting to 150 kmph. It claimed seven lives and caused widespread damage to crops, roads, electricity and telecom infrastructure in the coastal districts.

Crops over thousands of acres were damaged in the cyclone, while hundreds of electricity poles and trees were uprooted.

As per preliminary estimates, the cyclone caused losses of Rs 4,600 crore.

A Central team is currently visiting the state to assess the damage caused by the cyclone.