Bhubaneswar, Oct 28: Severe cyclonic storm ‘Arnab’ completed its landfall process after nearly six hours on Wednesday, with no major damage reported in Odisha, Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Rajesh Prabhakar Patil said.

Briefing the media, Patil said the landfall process continued from 2 am to 8 am, during which the cyclone remained nearly stationary for a considerable period. The system subsequently moved inland along its predicted trajectory and was expected to reach Malkangiri district by Wednesday evening, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast cited by him.

Very heavy rainfall was reported in Ganjam district, while Gajapati also experienced heavy precipitation. Mohana block recorded 182 mm of rainfall and Paralakhemundi received 140 mm in the preceding 24 hours. Malkangiri and Koraput had not reported rainfall at the time of the briefing.

As a precautionary measure, more than 2,000 pregnant women were shifted to safer locations. District administrations remained on alert, with officials deployed to monitor the situation. Patil said a few incidents of uprooted trees and blocked roads had been reported. However, ODRAF and fire services teams promptly cleared the obstructions.

He added that the cyclone was expected to weaken into a depression after reaching Malkangiri, bringing rainfall to several areas. Authorities continued monitoring the situation, which remained under control at the time of the briefing.

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