Cyclone Arnab LIVE Updates: Cyclone Arnab is moving faster than expected, and it is now set to reach the coast in the early hours of Wednesday. The Meteorological Department said on Tuesday that the very severe cyclonic storm is likely to make landfall early on Wednesday.
According to a Met Department update, the storm will cross the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam. The crossing is expected between 2 am and 4 am.
The system is over the west-central Bay of Bengal. In the six hours up to 5:30 pm on Tuesday, it moved west to northwest at 18 kmph, the Met Department said.
"It is very likely to continue to move nearly west-northwestwards during the next few hours, then northwestwards and cross Andhra Pradesh & Yanam coasts between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam, close to south of Yanam as a very severe cyclonic storm with the maximum sustained wind speed of 125-135 kmph (and) gusting to 150 kmph during early hours of October 28," it said.
The Met Department observed that Arnab is interacting with the land surface and that the outer spiral band has entered the land.
It also explained why the timing has moved up. "Due to faster movement, the landfall of the cyclone is expected early, likely during early hours around 2 am to 4 am on Wednesday", it added.