Eastern India cyclone prompts more than 180,000 evacuations
October 29
October 28 — A powerful cyclone struck India’s eastern coast on October 28, Reuters reported. More than 180,000 people had evacuated Andhra Pradesh and neighbouring Odisha before its arrival.
Neither state had reported deaths at the time of the report. Electricity supplies were disrupted, trees fell and some schools closed. Train and flight cancellations followed; civil aviation officials said three airports in Andhra Pradesh suspended operations.
India’s meteorological service classified the system as a very severe cyclonic storm. Its centre crossed the Andhra Pradesh coast in the morning and subsequently moved fully inland.
Forecast sustained winds were 125–135 kilometres per hour, with gusts reaching 150 kilometres per hour. A storm surge of 1–1.5 metres above normal tide levels was expected, threatening low-lying parts of Andhra Pradesh.
The cyclone formed over the Bay of Bengal, a frequent source of tropical cyclones that have struck India’s eastern coastline.