India evacuates tens of thousands as ‘very severe’ Cyclone Arnab nears

India is evacuating tens of thousands of people from its eastern coast as Cyclone Arnab, which has strengthened since Monday, is expected to make landfall on Wednesday morning. The India Meteorological Department warned Andhra Pradesh and Odisha that the storm was 260km southeast of Visakhapatnam, with sustained winds forecast at 115–125km/h and gusts up to 140km/h. More than 12 million people live along the cyclone’s projected path. Nearly 50,000 people in Andhra Pradesh had been moved to shelters by Monday night, while an estimated 400,000 may need evacuation; train services have also been cancelled or suspended.