India evacuates tens of thousands as Cyclone Arnab makes landfall

Ferocious winds and torrential rain lashed India's southeastern coast as Cyclone Arnab made landfall on Wednesday, forcing nearly 100,000 people to evacuate their homes in two states, authorities said. Arnab hit Andhra Pradesh as a "very severe cyclonic storm", with winds of 125-135 kilometres per hour and gusts reaching 150 kph, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. "Very severe cyclonic storm Arnab is continuing to interact with the land surface," the IMD said in a statement, along the coasts between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam. Authorities ordered thousands to move inland or take shelter in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha ahead of the storm, while neighbouring Sri Lanka and Nepal also issued weather warnings.