Cyclone Arnab has formed over the Bay of Bengal as the northeast monsoon intensifies over Tamil Nadu. The system, which strengthened from a deep depression into a cyclonic storm, is now moving at around 15 kmph, up from about 8 kmph earlier, officials said.
The centre of the system is located about 650 km east-southeast of Visakhapatnam, 730 km east-southeast of Kakinada, and 830 km east of Machilipatnam. Its movement is being continuously monitored.
Forecasts indicate the cyclone may intensify into a severe cyclonic storm on October 27 and is expected to cross the coast between Visakhapatnam and Bapatla on October 28. Wind speeds could reach 115–125 kmph.
As a precaution, school holidays were announced on October 26 in Coimbatore, Dindigul, Ramanathapuram and Nagapattinam districts, and for Periyakulam taluk in Theni district. In the Nilgiris, holidays were declared for schools in Udhagamandalam (Ooty), Coonoor, Kotagiri and Kundah.
In Kallakurichi district, holidays were announced only for select schools in Thiyagadurgam and Chinnasalem blocks. In Puducherry and Karaikal, schools and colleges were also given a holiday, Minister Namachivayam said.
Meanwhile, No. 2 cyclone warning signal was hoisted at nine Tamil Nadu ports: Chennai, Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Ennore, Kattupalli, Puducherry, Karaikal, Pamban and Thoothukudi.
