▲ Indian flag (File photo)
South Asian countries are on high alert as a powerful cyclone accompanied by strong winds and heavy rain is imminent, prompting India to issue evacuation orders in expected affected areas and Sri Lanka to close schools nationwide.
Local time on the 27th, the India Meteorological Department explained that Cyclone Arnab, formed over the Bay of North Eastern Indian Ocean, has been strengthening since the previous day.
It forecasted that Arnab is expected to make landfall in the southern coastal state of Andhra Pradesh on the morning of the 28th, with strong winds and heavy rain also expected in the nearby eastern state of Odisha.
Prakhar Jain, head of the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority, said that about 50,000 out of 400,000 residents in vulnerable areas had moved to shelters by the previous night, adding that evacuations are continuing.
Although evacuation orders have not yet been issued in Odisha, schools and universities in five districts will be closed for two days from today until the 28th.
Indian railway authorities have also successively canceled or suspended train operations, focusing on the eastern and southern coastal regions.
Sri Lanka also closed schools nationwide on the 27th to prepare for severe weather caused by the indirect effects of the cyclone.
The Sri Lankan Ministry of Education explained that this decision was made to ensure the safety of students and faculty members under current weather conditions.
Over the past few days, heavy rain has poured across Sri Lanka due to the indirect effects of Arnab, and flood and landslide warnings have also been issued.
Nepal, another South Asian country, warned tourists to refrain from visiting high-altitude areas, stating that Arnab could cause heavy rain or avalanches in the Himalayan region.
On August 26 of this year, a major flood originating in the upper Himalayan mountainous region left more than 1,400 people dead and about 6,000 missing in Nepal and the neighboring Tibet Autonomous Region of China.
Cyclones are tropical depressions that occur in the Indian Ocean and South Pacific, and in the Bay of Bengal, they typically form around May and November every year, causing major damage to coastal areas of India, Bangladesh, and Myanmar.
In 2007, Cyclone Sidr struck Bangladesh, killing more than 3,000 people, and in 2008, Cyclone Nargis left 138,000 people dead or missing in Myanmar.
(Photo: Getty Images)
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