Rayagada: Heavy downpours eased across Odisha's Rayagada district as the impact of Cyclone Arnab weakened, enabling local authorities to maintain a high alert despite diminishing immediate threats.

District Collector Ashutosh Kulkarni stated that the region registered 40 mm of rainfall during the 24 hours ending at 8:30 a.m., followed by an additional 26 mm through Wednesday evening.

"In the 24 hours that ended today at 8:30 am, Rayagada recorded 40mm of rainfall, and since then till today in the evening, about 26mm of rainfall has been recorded. So it has been quite less than what we had expected. Even now, as the rains have subsided, no major threat exists now," Kulkarni told reporters.

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Local administrative departments remain deployed and on standby to respond to potential weather shifts as authorities continue monitoring regional atmospheric conditions.

“Still, we are on high alert...there is a possibility that some rainfall may be recorded in Rayagada," Kulkarni said.

Multiple districts in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh experienced gale-force winds and heavy rainfall associated with Cyclone Arnab, leaving numerous trees uprooted and disrupting local infrastructure.

Amid the destruction, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu held a telephonic discussion with Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday, briefing him on the damage caused by the storm across the state.

According to an official release, the Chief Minister outlined the prevailing situation across affected districts, including Visakhapatnam, Konaseema, Kakinada, East Godavari, West Godavari, Eluru, and Krishna.

Informing the Union Home Minister regarding initial damage projections, Naidu stated that standing agricultural crops spanning over 70,000 hectares have been submerged due to storm-induced flooding.

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Detailing ongoing administrative measures, Naidu noted that preliminary damage assessment reports were being transmitted to the Central Government. He requested the immediate dispatch of Central assessment teams to evaluate ground-level cyclone losses.

The Chief Minister also urged the Union Home Minister to extend necessary financial and logistical support from the Central Government to aid relief, rehabilitation, and infrastructure restoration efforts across affected regions.

Separately, Vizianagaram rural police rescued five individuals trapped inside a submerged residence in Dharmapuri village within Vizianagaram mandal on Wednesday amid heavy rains linked to the cyclone.

The rescue effort was conducted under the direction of Vizianagaram DSP S. Lakshmana Murthy, alongside Rural Circle Inspector B. Lakshmana Rao, Rural Sub-Inspector V. Prasad Rao, and attending police officers.

According to the Vizianagaram Rural Police Station, several homes in Dharmapuri village became inundated following two days of sustained heavy rainfall. Upon receiving reports that five occupants were trapped inside a flooded property, rural police personnel immediately alerted senior officers to coordinate the extraction.

Cyclonic Storm Arnab, which weakened from a severe cyclonic storm, was centred over coastal Andhra Pradesh and the adjoining west-central Bay of Bengal on Wednesday evening, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported.

At least 22 express and passenger train services have been cancelled or suspended between October 27 and November 5 due to the severe weather. Among the major routes impacted are the Visakhapatnam–Kirandul and Rourkela–Jagdalpur services, most of which stand cancelled between October 29 and November 4, while other services, including the Howrah–Jagdalpur Samaleswari Express, have had their departure schedules altered.

IMD Bhubaneswar Director Manorama Mohanty confirmed that the cyclone had crossed the coastline and was fully positioned over land. However, she cautioned that precipitation levels and wind speeds were expected to intensify across Odisha, particularly throughout southern districts.

She noted that a red warning had been issued for six districts in Odisha, with wind speeds of 60–70 km/h, gusting up to 80–85 km/h, forecast across select regions.

“Even some coastal districts of North Odisha are also likely to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall. Fishermen are advised not to venture into the sea up to 29th of October,” Mohanty said.

ANI