Five dead after Cyclone Arnab batters India’s Andhra Pradesh coast
At least five people were killed in rain-related incidents after Cyclone Arnab struck India’s eastern coast on Wednesday, bringing torrential rain, winds of up to 150 kph and widespread disruption across Andhra Pradesh, according to official reports cited by The Hindu.
The India Meteorological Department classified Arnab as a “very severe cyclonic storm” when it made landfall in Andhra Pradesh early Wednesday. The system later weakened as it moved inland. More than 180,000 people were evacuated from vulnerable areas in Andhra Pradesh and neighbouring Odisha before the storm arrived.
Earlier reports had cited no deaths, while Reuters subsequently reported three fatalities based on information from the National Disaster Response Force. The Hindu’s later account placed the toll at five.
More than 1,000 trees were uprooted, and agricultural and horticultural crops across about 80,500 hectares …