Overview
- The India Meteorological Department said late Tuesday the very severe cyclonic storm is likely to cross the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coast between 2:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m. on Wednesday, October 28, with sustained winds of 125–135 km/h and gusts up to 150 km/h.
- Authorities have moved roughly 84,000–89,000 people into thousands of cyclone shelters to protect low-lying and coastal communities ahead of the early-morning landfall.
- National and state response forces are pre-positioned, with the NDRF deploying about 31 teams to the region and the Navy, Coast Guard, SDRF and ODRAF placed on readiness for search, rescue and relief operations.
- Transport and services have been disrupted as flights at Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada and Rajahmundry were suspended and dozens of trains cancelled, while outer bands of the storm have already brought very heavy rain, uprooted trees and at least one reported death.
- IMD warnings for extremely heavy district rainfall, the risk of storm surge and river flooding underpin preparations to protect crops and infrastructure, with power crews, generators and drones staged to restore services and deliver supplies where roads become impassable.