Maldives Meteorological (MET) Office has stated that Maldives will not be directly affected by Cyclone Arnab, which is expected to hit eastern India, and that northern and central Maldives will experience rain for the next 24 hours.

An official from the MET Office told Mihaaru News that Cyclone Arnab, which formed over the Bay of Bengal, may hit eastern India within this week. The official said that they believe Maldives will not be directly affected by the cyclone.

However, the official said that Maldives is experiencing heavy rain these days due to the low pressure that has formed near southern India and Sri Lanka. The official said their forecast shows rainfall across northern and central Maldives for the next 24 hours.

As reported by Reuters today, work has begun to evacuate thousands of people from two east Indian states and relocate them to a safer place as forecasts show that Cyclone Arnab would make its way into that region on Wednesday. The report also reads that schools in some districts from one of the states will be closed for two days.

After having formed over the Bay of Bengal, it is believed that Cyclone Arnab will make its way to the state of Andhra Pradesh sometime Wednesday morning. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast predicted that the cyclone may have wind speeds of around 140 kilometers per hour (87 miles per hour).

In Bengali, Arnab means the ocean.

Due to the cyclone, IMD's forecast reads that northern and central Andhra Pradesh and the southern section of the state of Odisha would experience heavy rain, with some areas experiencing torrential rain.

The Government of Andhra Pradesh ordered that all marine vessels sail back to the coast immediately in connection to the incident. In the event there are power outages, they have also ordered the relevant institutions to restore electricity as soon as possible.

A senior official from the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA) told Reuters that they have identified around 570,000 people who are exposed to the cyclone and its dangers, and that they began relocating them to safe areas yesterday.

The Bay of Bengal is one of the world's common areas where tropical cyclones form.