India: Over 180,000 evacuated on east coast as massive cyclone hits

Heavy waves crash on the shores of the city of Kakinada as cyclone Arnab makes landfall on India's southeastern coast. Gusts of up to 125 kilometers per hour swept through the coastal state of Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday, with India's weather bureau warning of likely damage to thatched houses and crops. The government had already informed the public about the cyclone, but the situation became very dangerous yesterday evening. Electricity was cut off during the night and the wind was blowing at speeds of around 120 to 140 kilometers per hour. Almost 100,000 people were evacuated from vulnerable areas on India's southeastern coast on Tuesday. 2,000 cyclone shelters have been set up across 20 districts, while emergency alerts were being sent to the mobile phones of millions of residents. Disaster management authorities have said that more than 12 million people live along the cyclone's expected path. Since our home is in a low-lying area, it gets completely submerged whenever a cyclone hits or there are heavy rains. That's why we moved to this shelter. The arrangements here are very good. We are receiving meals and snacks, and the facility is clean and hygienic. Arnab has been classified as a very severe cyclonic storm by the Indian Meteorological Department, the third highest category on its scale. It formed over the Bay of Bengal, a major region for tropical cyclones, but was likely intensified by the El Niño weather phenomenon which has turbocharged this tropical storm season and contributed to unprecedented warming.