Overview
- The storm made landfall on Wednesday as a very violent cyclonic storm with sustained winds of 125–135 km/h and gusts up to 150 km/h, the Indian Meteorological Department said.
- Authorities in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha ordered about 100,000 evacuations, opened more than 1,700 cyclone shelters and relocated thousands of vulnerable people, including roughly 4,700 pregnant women to hospitals.
- Immediate reports from the coast describe heavy rain, high waves and localized flooding with downed trees, damaged small structures and flooded roads as rescue teams begin rapid damage assessments.
- Sri Lanka mobilized its military and closed schools, and Nepal warned that the storm’s inland track could bring heavy rain, heavy snowfall and increased avalanche risk in the Himalaya.
- Scientists say a very strong El Niño, amplified by climate change, has helped make this cyclone season unusually intense and raises the risk of further powerful Bay of Bengal storms.