Yanam (Puducherry) [India], October 28 : National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel are carrying out clearance operations in Yanam after strong winds associated with Cyclone Arnab uprooted several trees and electricity poles, damaged houses and disrupted movement in the region, with rescue teams working to clear fallen trees and debris.
NDRF Commander Eswar Rao Gade said a large banyan tree had fallen on a house and the team was working to remove it. He confirmed that no casualties had been reported and that residents had been rescued before the team's arrival.
"Following the storm that struck last night, a large banyan tree has fallen; we are here to clear it. Wind speeds exceeded 100 km/h, causing many trees to fall. Several houses, this one and three others, have been affected, and the NDRF team is currently working to clear the debris," Gade told ANI.
"Our team consists of 30 personnel. No, there are no casualties; everyone is safe. The residents were rescued beforehand. We are now in the process of clearing the tree from the house," he added.
Yanam Superintendent of Police (SP) Varadha Rajan said police personnel had been on alert since Tuesday and were coordinating with other departments to prevent any untoward incidents and ensure public safety.
"Since yesterday, as per the directions of senior officers, we are making sincere efforts to prevent any untoward incident. Yesterday night heavy rain fall about 120 kilometer speed. Now move to south side south side. Now all efforts are being made by police. No casualties so far. We are alerting the public also to stay safe," Rajan said.
He said 19 shelters had been identified by the Revenue Department in Yanam and residents had been alerted to move to safe places. The police and disaster response teams were also working to remove fallen trees from roads and residential areas.
Rajan said there had been no casualties so far and the overall situation was normal, although several trees had fallen in rural areas and some parts of the town.
"We are going to remove (the fallen trees) with assistance from the NDRF team as well as the SDRF team," he said, adding that teams from Puducherry and the local administration were involved in the clearance work.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD), in an update on Wednesday morning, said the very severe cyclonic storm Arnab remained practically stationary over the west-central Bay of Bengal, off the Andhra Pradesh coast, during the preceding three hours.
In its bulletin issued at 5.30 am on October 28, the IMD said the system was centred near latitude 16.4 degrees north and longitude 82.0 degrees east, around 30 km east of Narsapur in Andhra Pradesh, 45 km south-southwest of Yanam, 70 km south-southwest of Kakinada, 90 km east-northeast of Machilipatnam and 170 km east-northeast of Bapatla.
"The very severe cyclonic storm “Arnab” [Pronunciation :Ornab] over Westcentral Bay of Bengal off Andhra Pradesh coast remains practically stationary during past 03 hours, and lay centered at 0530 hrs IST of today, the 28th October, 2026 over the same region, near latitude 16.4°N and longitude 82.0°E, about 30 km east of Narsapur (Andhra Pradesh), 45 km south-southwest of Yanam (Puducherry UT), 70 km south-southwest of Kakinada (Andhra Pradesh), 90 km east-northeast of Machilipatnam (Andhra Pradesh), and 170 km east-northeast of Bapatla (Andhra Pradesh)," IMD's X post read.
The weather department said the cyclone was very likely to move northwestwards and cross the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam, close to the south of Yanam, as a very severe cyclonic storm with maximum sustained wind speeds of 115-125 kmph and gusts of up to 140 kmph during the next 2 hours.
"The very severe cyclonic storm 'Arnab' is continuing to interact with the land surface and the wall cloud region of the northern sector has further entered into the land," the IMD said.
It added that the centre of the storm was very close to the coastline and the landfall process was expected to continue for another two hours.
https://x.com/Indiametdept/status/2115281611143131145
The IMD had earlier warned that the rear portion of the wall cloud region would enter the coastal area to complete the landfall process, as strong winds, heavy rainfall and rough sea conditions affected several coastal districts.
The impact of Cyclone Arnab was also severe in Machilipatnam, where strong gusty winds and heavy rainfall intensified from Tuesday night.

Electricity poles and trees were uprooted, while the town remained without electricity from Tuesday night. Incessant rain and strong winds brought normal life to a standstill, with low-lying areas inundated and several roads waterlogged.
Several areas of Andhra Pradesh's Konaseema district were also affected by strong winds and heavy rainfall, with multiple trees uprooted and fallen, disrupting movement in affected areas.
The Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA) has been monitoring the cyclone's movement and impact on coastal districts over the past 24 hours.
The cyclone's impact was also reported in Kakinada, where trees were uprooted, and power lines snapped at several locations. In Visakhapatnam, heavy rain and gusty winds uprooted trees and blocked Beach Road and Seethammadhara.
In Visakhapatnam, strong winds and high tides were witnessed at RK Beach, prompting police to restrict public entry as a precautionary measure. Fishermen were advised not to venture into the sea, while a tree was uprooted near the AU College of Engineering for Women due to strong winds.
Heavy rain accompanied by thunder, lightning and gusty winds also lashed Vijayawada and surrounding areas. Several low-lying areas and main roads were waterlogged, and officials warned that moderate to heavy rainfall could continue.
Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday reviewed cyclone relief and restoration measures through a teleconference with around 32,000 officials and field-level personnel, directing authorities to restore road connectivity and electricity, ensure essential supplies at shelters and minimise public inconvenience.
Naidu sought preliminary estimates of crop damage and directed officials to clear fallen trees, restore traffic within two hours and coordinate relief operations until normalcy returns. The government said no loss of life had been reported so far.
The state had prepared 2,199 cyclone shelters, deployed 12 NDRF and 10 SDRF teams across 14 districts, and kept medical teams, ambulances, emergency beds and essential supplies ready.
Meanwhile, Odisha Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari reviewed preparedness at the State Emergency Operation Centre, stressing that the priority was to ensure zero casualties as the cyclone moved towards Andhra Pradesh.
Flight operations were disrupted at Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada and Rajahmundry, with several airlines cancelling services. The Ministry of Civil Aviation advised passengers to check flight status before leaving for airports and directed airlines to inform travellers about cancellations, delays and applicable rebooking and refund options.