Cyclone Arnab Threat: Flights & Trains Cancelled, Schools Shut, Andhra Pradesh on High Alert

Severe cyclonic storm Arnab has led to widespread transport disruptions across Andhra Pradesh, prompting the cancellation of multiple flights and train services as it nears the coast. At least 21 flights were cancelled at Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam airports on Tuesday, with another 15 scheduled cancellations for Wednesday affecting routes to Chennai, Bengaluru, Kadapa, and Delhi. IndiGo, Fly91, and Air India are among the impacted carriers, alongside Southern Railway cancelling dozens of trains. Coastal districts including Visakhapatnam, Kakinada, Konaseema, and Vijayawada face high alerts, with highways barricaded and state transport services halted as precautionary measures. The India Meteorological Department has forecast a cyclonic storm surge following landfall expected between Kakinada, Yanam, and Konaseema. Schools and colleges have been shut for 48 hours, power supplies disconnected to avoid electrical accidents, and multi-agency rescue teams, including the NDRF and SDRF, deployed to evacuate citizens from vulnerable low-lying coastal areas to designated safe shelters.