Cyclone Arnab Leaves Odisha Flooded as Murasu Approaches Andhra Pradesh

Cyclone Arnab's aftermath spread beyond the coast. On October 30, the India Meteorological Department warned of isolated heavy rainfall in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal as the storm's remnant low pressure area lay over north Chhattisgarh and adjoining east Madhya Pradesh.

In Odisha, the consequences were already deadly. Indian Express reported on October 30 that three members of a family, including an infant, had been killed in a landslide. Two others were rescued by a fire services team, according to NDTV India.

On October 30, relief supplies were air-dropped in Odisha's Ganjam, The Hindu reported. Its coverage also flagged another weather system that could become a depression by October 31.

By October 31, continuous heavy rainfall had sharply raised river levels and triggered nearly a dozen landslides in three Odisha districts, according to NDTV India. Indian Express reported that 12 people were missing after a landslide in Ganjam and that the rain-related death toll had risen to four.

The second threat was taking shape over the Bay of Bengal. On October 31, the India Meteorological Department said a well-marked low pressure area over the southeast Bay and adjoining Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Andaman Sea was likely to become a depression within six hours.

By November 1, Andhra Pradesh was preparing for Murasu, its second cyclone threat in less than a week, Indian Express reported. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Naidu sought support from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka as the state mobilised manpower and machinery for electricity restoration, according to Business Line.

On November 2, NDTV Top Stories reported that Murasu had intensified into a severe cyclonic storm, moving nearly northwestwards at 20 kmph over the preceding six hours. Schools and colleges in Chennai and Tiruvallur were closed that day because of heavy rain, The Hindu reported.

The latest supplied coverage places Murasu on course for the south Andhra Pradesh coast. Business Line reported on November 2 that the storm appeared to have skirted Chennai after coming within about 200 km of the city over the sea.

The reported landfall timing has changed. An October 31 forecast carried by The Hindu expected landfall between Narsapur and Nellore on November 3, with maximum winds of 120 kmph. The November 2 report from NDTV Top Stories instead said the severe cyclonic storm was likely to cross the Andhra Pradesh coast that night.

For Odisha, the latest casualty update in the supplied coverage remains the October 31 report from Indian Express: four rain-related deaths and 12 people missing after the Ganjam landslide. The later coverage does not establish their fate.

Murasu's landfall timing and location remain the immediate questions, given the shift between the forecasts reported by The Hindu and NDTV Top Stories. The supplied reports do not yet confirm that the storm has crossed the coast.

Another pending issue is the extent of damage to Andhra Pradesh's electricity network. The request for support from neighbouring states, reported by Business Line, was intended to speed restoration if cyclone damage disrupted infrastructure.