Two people have died in India as Cyclone Gulab made landfall on Sunday along the eastern coast of the country, accompanied by strong winds and heavy rains, prompting authorities to evacuate tens of thousands of individuals. The Indian Meteorological Department stated that Cyclone Gulab hit the shore in the coastal states of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh around six in the evening (12:30 UTC), with wind speeds reaching 95 kilometers per hour.
According to local media, the two fishermen lost their lives after their boat capsized between the states of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. Three other fishermen managed to swim to safety, while a sixth person aboard the boat is still missing, as reported by the "Indian Express." The meteorological report indicated that the storm coming from the Bay of Bengal would bring "heavy rains," warning of "the risk of sudden flooding in some areas." It clarified that the intensity of Gulab would decrease "in the coming hours."
Initial reports following the cyclone showed uprooted trees in Andhra Pradesh, where around 85,000 families are expected to be evacuated to temporary relief shelters in the state. Authorities in both threatened states have urged residents living near the coast to move to shelters as a precaution and dispatched hundreds of rescue personnel. Meanwhile, authorities in West Bengal have also stated that they will take precautions, even though the state is not expected to be directly affected. State official Bankim Hazra told AFP, "We have evacuated more than 20,000 people to schools and government buildings turned into cyclone shelters."
The northern Indian Ocean is increasingly facing powerful cyclones, a phenomenon that scientists attribute to climate warming.
