Current Affairs · · GS1 · Geography

Andhra Pradesh and Odisha step up evacuations as Bay storm nears

Andhra Pradesh and Odisha opened shelters and moved vulnerable residents as a Bay of Bengal system approached the coast, forecast for 28 October. Reports said it could become Cyclone Arnab, a name proposed by Bangladesh, and cross near Yanam–Kakinada as a very severe cyclonic storm. Its final strength and landfall remained uncertain.

Event date:

REq1
  1. Note1 / 5

    WHY IN NEWS?

    • A Bay of Bengal system was forecast to approach the Andhra Pradesh coast around 28 October 2026.
    • Reports said that once it reached cyclonic-storm strength it would be named Arnab.
    • One IMD forecast, as reported, expected it to cross the Andhra Pradesh–Yanam coast as a very severe cyclonic storm with winds of 115–125 km/h, gusting to 140 km/h.
    • IMD issued red alerts for several Andhra Pradesh districts.
    • Odisha readied more than 1,700 shelters and deployed response teams.
  2. Note2 / 5

    THE EVACUATION RESPONSE

    • Pre-emptive moves: People in low-lying coastal areas were shifted before landfall.
    • Vulnerable groups first: Plans gave priority to pregnant women, the elderly and those in fragile homes.
    • Forces on standby: NDRF and State response teams were positioned in likely-hit districts.
    • Fishermen recalled: Advisories kept boats ashore.
    • Essential services: Power, water, hospitals and communications were readied with backups.
  3. Note3 / 5

    KEY CONCEPTS

    1. Who names cyclones in the north Indian Ocean?

    Thirteen countries contribute names to a list kept by the WMO/ESCAP Panel on Tropical Cyclones. IMD's regional centre in New Delhi assigns them in order. "Arnab" was proposed by Bangladesh.

    1. What is a very severe cyclonic storm?

    It is a system with sustained winds of about 118–166 km/h. It can uproot trees, damage weak houses and cut power.

    1. What is storm surge?

    It is a rise in sea level pushed ashore by winds and low pressure. At high tide, it can flood coastal villages far inland.

    1. What is an impact-based warning?

    It tells people not just how strong a storm will be, but what it is likely to damage locally and what action to take.

  4. Note4 / 5

    WHAT STILL GOES WRONG

    • Last mile: Warnings may not reach remote hamlets or migrant workers.
    • Reluctance: Some families refuse to leave homes and livestock.
    • Shelters: Crowding, poor sanitation and lack of privacy deter women and the elderly.
    • Inland impacts: Heavy rain can flood rivers and trigger landslides far from the coast.
    • After the storm: Restoring power, water and livelihoods often takes longer than the evacuation.
  5. Note5 / 5

    WAY FORWARD

    These are suggested measures, not approved policy.

    • Evacuate early based on forecasts, with door-to-door alerts.
    • Improve shelters with water, sanitation and space for women and families.
    • Protect services: Keep backup power for hospitals, water and communications.
    • Restore coastal buffers such as mangroves that reduce storm surge.
    • Build resilient homes in high-risk coastal belts.

Sources

Syllabus

PaperSubjectSub-topic
GS1GeographyTropical cyclones
GS3EnvironmentDisaster management, early warning, role of NDRF
PrelimsGeographyCyclone naming, IMD categories, storm surge

Topics

Agriculture and EnvironmentWorld Map-Based GeographyGovernance

Related previous-year questions

Asked in earlier UPSC Prelims papers on this topic. Answer, then check.

  1. UPSC Prelims 2020 · Geography · Climatology

    Consider the following statements: 1. Jet streams occur in the Northern Hemisphere only. 2. Only some cyclones develop an eye. 3. The temperature inside the eye of a cyclone is nearly 10°C lesser than that of the surroundings. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 and 3 only
    3. 2 only
    4. 1 and 3 only
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Statement 1 – INCORRECT: Jet streams occur in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. The actual appearance of jet streams result from the complex interaction between many variables — such as the location of high and low pressure systems, warm and cold air, and seasonal changes. Hence statement 1 is not correct. Statement 2 – CORRECT: The hurricane's center is a relatively calm, generally clear area of sinking air and light winds that usually do not exceed 15 mph (24 km/h) and is typically 20-40 miles (32-64 km) across. An eye will usually develop when the maximum sustained wind speeds go above 74 mph (119 km/h) and is the calmest part of the storm. Only some cyclones (those of sufficient intensity) develop an eye. Hence statement 2 is correct. Statement 3 – INCORRECT: The eye is the region of lowest surface pressure and warmest temperatures aloft — the eye temperature may be 10°C warmer or more at an altitude of 12 km than the surrounding environment, but only 0-2°C warmer at the surface in the tropical cyclone. The temperature inside the eye is WARMER than the surroundings, not 10°C lesser. Hence statement 3 is not correct. Correct statement: 2 only → Option (c).

    Difficulty: medium · statement

    Open this question on its own page, with the full explanation →

  2. UPSC Prelims 2025 · Environment and Ecology · Climate Change

    The World Bank warned that India could become one of the first places in the world where wet-bulb temperatures routinely exceed 35°C. Which of the following statements best reflect(s) the implication of the above-said report? I. Peninsular India will most likely suffer from flooding, tropical cyclones and droughts. II. The survival of animals including humans will be affected as shedding of their body heat through perspiration becomes difficult. Select the correct answer code given below.

    1. I only
    2. II only
    3. Both I and II
    4. Neither I nor II
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Statement I – CORRECT: Climate change may increase flooding, cyclones and drought risks in Peninsular India. Statement II – CORRECT: Wet-bulb temperatures above 35°C severely affect the body’s ability to cool through perspiration. Correct statements: I and II → Option (c).

    Difficulty: medium · statement

    Open this question on its own page, with the full explanation →

  3. UPSC Prelims 2016 · Indian Economy · Agriculture Economy

    With reference to ‘Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana’, consider the following statements: 1. Under this scheme, farmers will have to pay a uniform premium of two percent for any crop they cultivate in any season of the year. 2. This scheme covers post-harvest losses arising out of cyclones and unseasonal rains. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Show answer

    Answer: B. The correct answer is 2 only. Core Conceptual Framework The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) is India's flagship crop insurance scheme launched in 2016. It operates on an actuarial premium basis but protects farmers by capping their financial outgo. The core of the scheme lies in its differential seasonal premium architecture and its comprehensive risk coverage framework spanning the entire cropping cycle (from pre-sowing to post-harvest). Statement-by-Statement Elimination • Statement 1: Under this scheme, farmers will have to pay a uniform premium of two percent for any crop they cultivate in any season of the year. (Incorrect) • The Trap: The statement uses the absolute qualifiers "any crop" and "any season." • The Fact: PMFBY explicitly breaks down premium caps based on seasons and crop classifications to reflect varying risks: • Kharif Crops: 2% of the sum insured. • Rabi Crops: 1.5% of the sum insured. • Annual Commercial / Horticultural Crops: 5% of the sum insured. • The government (shared equally between the Centre and States) absorbs the entire remaining actuarial premium subsidy balance. • Statement 2: This scheme covers post-harvest losses arising out of cyclones and unseasonal rains. (Correct) • The Fact: PMFBY was formulated to rectify gaps in older insurance schemes by expanding coverage to localized and post-harvest perils. It provides dynamic protection for up to a maximum period of 14 days (two weeks) from harvesting. This specific cover applies to crops that are left in a "cut and spread" condition to dry in the field against specific perils like cyclones, cyclonic rains, and unseasonal downpours. How to Solve This in the Exam (UPSC Elimination Strategy) 1. Expose the Extreme Generalization: Read Statement 1 critically. A standard rule of thumb for government scheme questions in Prelims is that the bureaucracy rarely implements a flat, single premium rate across vastly different risk profiles (e.g., comparing monsoon-dependent staple Kharif crops with high-value commercial horticulture). The absolute phrase "any crop... in any season" should immediately flash a red flag. 2. Verify the Intent of the Reform: Recall why PMFBY was introduced to replace older schemes like NAIS and MNAIS. One of its landmark structural highlights was expanding insurance boundaries to protect farmers from climate-induced losses that occur after the harvest is cut but before it reaches the mandis. Statement 2 directly checks this foundational policy pillar. 3. Isolate and Select: Marking Statement 1 as false immediately drops "1 only" and "Both 1 and 2". Recognizing Statement 2 as a core objective of the 2016 revamping seals 2 only without hesitation.

    Difficulty: medium · statement

    Open this question on its own page, with the full explanation →

  4. UPSC Prelims 2015 · Geography · Climatology

    In the South Atlantic and South-Eastern Pacific regions in tropical latitudes, cyclones does not originate. What is the reason?

    1. Sea surface temperatures are low
    2. Inter-tropical Convergence Zone seldom occurs
    3. Coriolis force is too weak
    4. Absence of land in those regions
    Show answer

    Answer: A. VERDICT: The answer is that sea surface temperatures are low. Tropical cyclones do not form in the South Atlantic and south-eastern Pacific chiefly because the water there is too cool. ANALYSIS: Cyclogenesis requires a large sea surface warmer than about 27 degrees Celsius, the presence of the Coriolis force, small vertical wind shear, a pre existing low level disturbance and upper level divergence. In these two basins the sea surface tends to run cooler than ideal even in the southern summer, and the basin also carries climatologically high vertical wind shear. The Coriolis option is wrong because Coriolis force weakens near the equator generally, not specifically in these basins. The land option is wrong because cyclones form over ocean, not over land, so absence of land cannot be the obstacle. SOURCE: NCERT Fundamentals of Physical Geography, Chapter 10, page 94. Source type EM. HOW TO CRACK IT: Learn the five formation conditions as a checklist and then ask which one is regionally absent, since a question of this type always removes exactly one. Test each option for whether it is a genuine regional peculiarity or a general property. Coriolis weakness is general to all equatorial regions, so it cannot explain a difference between basins, and that single test eliminates the strongest distractor.

    Difficulty: hard · direct

    Open this question on its own page, with the full explanation →

Practice questions

  1. Names for tropical cyclones in the north Indian Ocean are assigned by:

    1. NASA
    2. IMD's Regional Specialised Meteorological Centre, New Delhi, from a list contributed by member countries
    3. The UN Secretary-General
    4. Each affected country separately
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Thirteen countries contribute names to the WMO/ESCAP list.

    Difficulty: medium · statement

  2. A storm surge refers to:

    1. Sudden rainfall in hills
    2. An abnormal rise in sea level driven by a cyclone's winds and low pressure
    3. A tsunami caused by an earthquake
    4. A rise in river level from snowmelt
    Show answer

    Answer: B. It is often the deadliest part of a cyclone.

    Difficulty: medium · statement

  3. Which coastal ecosystem is most effective at reducing cyclone storm surge?

    1. Coral reefs
    2. Mangroves
    3. Sand dunes only
    4. Seagrass beds only
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Mangroves dissipate wave and surge energy.

    Difficulty: medium · statement

Mains practice

Answer-writing practice on this article. Attempt it first, then open the hints.

  1. GS3 · 150 words

    India has sharply reduced cyclone deaths through early warning and evacuation. What gaps remain in last-mile preparedness and recovery?

    Show hints
    1. Impact-based warnings
    2. vulnerable groups
    3. shelter quality
    4. inland flooding
    5. mangroves, livelihood recovery