India is evacuating tens of thousands of residents along its eastern coastline as Cyclone Arnab intensifies over the Bay of Bengal, threatening widespread disruption across coastal states.
The storm is expected to make landfall in Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday morning, bringing destructive winds and heavy rainfall, while neighbouring Nepal prepares for potentially dangerous weather conditions in the Himalayas.
The India Meteorological Department warned Tuesday that the very severe cyclonic storm was positioned approximately 260 kilometres southeast of Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh's most populous city.
Arnab is forecast to move northwest and cross the coastline by 11:30 a.m. local time Wednesday, with sustained winds of 115-125 kilometres per hour and gusts reaching 140 kilometres per hour.
More than 12 million people live along the storm's projected inland and northward path, according to Andhra Pradesh's disaster management authority.
Nearly 50,000 residents had been relocated to emergency shelters by Monday night, although authorities estimate approximately 400,000 people require evacuation.
Officials said evacuation operations were continuing as the cyclone approached.
In neighbouring Odisha, authorities announced plans to evacuate 48,000 residents, although no evacuations had begun as of Tuesday.
Schools and colleges across five districts were ordered closed for Tuesday and Wednesday.
Transport disruptions have also intensified, with at least 12 trains cancelled across eastern India and services suspended on 53 southern coastal routes through Wednesday.
Television footage showed powerful waves striking deserted beaches and shuttered businesses in threatened coastal communities.
The cyclone's potential impact extends beyond India's coastline, with Nepalese authorities warning tourists against travelling to high-altitude regions.
Officials fear the approaching weather system could trigger torrential rainfall, snowstorms and avalanches across Himalayan areas between Thursday night and Saturday.
The warning comes as Nepal continues recovering from an August flash flood that killed approximately 1,500 people.
Arnab, which developed over the cyclone-prone Bay of Bengal, has strengthened since Monday, prompting authorities across the affected region to intensify preparations ahead of its expected landfall.