Hunker down: On Cyclone Arnab, its landfall

Proactive governance (सक्रिय शासन) kept the casualties (हताहत व्यक्ति) low after Cyclone Arnab

Cyclone Arnab, the first named storm (तूफान, आँधी) of the North Indian Ocean (उत्तर हिंद महासागर) cyclone season this year, intensified rapidly (तेज़ी से, शीघ्रता से) before making landfall as a ‘very severe cyclonic storm (चक्रवाती तूफान, चक्रवाती आँधी)’ on October 28. This particular rapidity (तीव्रता, तेज़ी) is a challenge for forecasters (पूर्वानुमानकर्ता) and some models (a mathematical or computational representation used to simulate and predict weather patterns; simulation) did fail to anticipate (पूर्वानुमान लगाना, पहले से अंदाज़ा लगाना) how strong Arnab would become. It also moved faster than expected towards the coast (तट, समुद्र-तट), before stalling for a time and beginning the landfall (the event of a tropical cyclone reaching the coast and moving from sea onto land; arrival ashore, coming ashore, coastal crossing, reaching the coast) process several hours before the India Meteorological Department (IMD) (भारत मौसम विज्ञान विभाग) had predicted (forecast, foresee, prophesy, foretell) it would, in the middle of (के बीच में, के दौरान) the night, leaving many district authorities (official, administration, government, bureaucracy) with a potentially (संभावित रूप से, संभवतः) narrower window (shorter timeframe, limited opportunity, brief opening, reduced time margin, limited period, restricted interval) to evacuate (to move people from a dangerous place to a safer one; remove, clear out, relocate, rescue) high-risk settlements (a place where people establish or live together as a community; habitation, village, hamlet, colony). With core wind speeds (the velocity of the winds near the central part of a cyclone or storm; central wind velocity, inner wind intensity, eye-wall wind rate, peak wind force) of 125-135 kilometres per hour, it delivered (yield, generate, produce, bring) more than 100 mm of rain over parts of Anakapalli, Visakhapatnam, Kalingapatnam, Kakinada and Machilipatnam, in Andhra Pradesh. But even though (despite the fact that; although, albeit, despite, notwithstanding) it has completed landfall, southern Odisha likely (probably, presumably, doubtlessly, apparently) faces (to confront or deal with a difficult situation or problem; confront, encounter, experience, tackle) a greater threat (danger, risk, hazard, menace) only hence (purely therefore, simply from now on, solely thus, exclusively hereafter). Early reports claimed ((of a disaster or accident) to cause the loss of (life); take, cause the loss of, result in the death of, exact) no loss of life (the fact of people dying, especially in an accident, war, or disaster; death toll, fatality, mortality, dying) in Andhra Pradesh or Odisha, which has been attributed to (to regard something as being caused by someone or something; ascribe to, assign to, accredit to, put down to) the disaster management operations (coordinated activities aimed at mitigating, preparing for, responding to, and recovering from the impact of severe events; emergency response, crisis handling, disaster relief, catastrophe mitigation) in both States; the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, said there were five deaths in Andhra Pradesh. Regrettably (unfortunately, sadly, unhappily, deplorably), the suspension (the temporary prevention of something from continuing or being in force; pausing, stoppage, halting, interruption) of transport services, including road connectivity (the state or extent of being connected by roads, allowing for transport and communication; transport linkage, road network) and flights, closure of schools and offices, and power cuts to minimise risks posed (present or create a threat, risk, challenge, or problem; present, constitute, create, cause) by loose wires remains an essential part of saving lives, entailing (to involve something as a necessary or inevitable part or consequence; involve, require, necessitate, demand) other social and economic disruptions (disturbance, interruption, disorder, interference) that the States must account for (take into consideration, factor in, bear in mind, keep in mind), and address (to think about and begin to deal with an issue or problem; tackle, deal with, attend to, confront), in their post-storm (occurring or existing after a severe weather event; after-storm, subsequent to the tempest, post-cyclone, following the gale) assessments (evaluation, appraisal, analysis, judgment).

Odisha may have to brace for (to prepare oneself for something difficult or unpleasant; prepare for, get ready for, gear up for, fortify oneself for) rainfall and waters due to (because of, owing to, on account of, as a result of) moisture (water or other liquid diffused in a small quantity as vapor, within a solid, or condensed on a surface; dampness, wetness, humidity, vapor) in the storm’s outer circulation (the broad, peripheral flow of air or wind surrounding the central core of a cyclone or weather system; peripheral wind pattern, external airflow, outlying atmospheric movement), which will arrive over (across, traversing, passing through, above) land that has recovered in patches (sporadically, irregularly, unevenly, intermittently) from the fourth wettest (rainiest, dampest, most waterlogged, most precipitation-heavy) monsoon (a seasonal prevailing wind in South and Southeast Asia that brings heavy rainfall between May and September; the season of heavy rain during the summer in Asian countries;; rainy season, precipitation season, downpour season) in the State’s history. Extreme rainfall after repeated (recurring, frequent, continuous, constant) flooding may face soil that has not drained (to cause the water to run out, leaving it empty or dry; empty, clear, dry out, siphon off) fully, raising the risk of more flooding following (coming after or as a result of something; subsequent to, after, in the aftermath of, succeeding) even lower levels of rainfall, and slope failures in hilly terrain (an area of land that has many hills and uneven natural features; mountainous landscape, sloping land). Farmers in Ganjam and Puri have already voiced (articulate, express, state, declare) worries about the risk of prolonged (lengthy, extended, protracted, drawn-out) inundation (flooding, deluge, submergence, overflow) destroying paddy crops (a field of cultivated rice, usually flooded with water; rice cultivation, rice field harvest, flooded grain, wetland rice), compounding (to make a problem or bad situation worse; worsen, exacerbate, aggravate, magnify) the already considerable (substantial, significant, sizable, major) financial consequences (outcome, result, repercussion, ramification) of the southwest monsoon; (the seasonal southwesterly wind system that brings India’s principal rainy season from June to September, accounting for approximately 75–80% of the country’s annual rainfall. Its rainfall distribution varies across regions and over time due to geographical and atmospheric factors. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) specifies a Long Period Average (LPA) of 87 cm for the June–September season, based on rainfall data for 1971–2020) Ganjam alone had lost 33% of crops by October. In Sundargarh, however (nevertheless, nonetheless, yet, on the other hand), farmers hope that Arnab will relieve (to cause pain, distress, or difficulty to become less severe or serious; alleviate, ease, soothe, mitigate) moisture stress (a condition where plants suffer due to an inadequate supply of water, affecting their growth and yield; water deficit, drought stress) in standing crops after a dry (arid, parched, waterless) month. The IMD has already issued alerts in the Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, and Kalahandi districts, before the rainbelt (a geographic region that typically receives a high amount of rainfall; precipitation zone, wet region, heavy rain area, monsoon corridor) extends (spread, stretch, expand, reach) further north. The relatively (comparatively, somewhat, reasonably, moderately) low figure (a number, especially one which forms part of official statistics or relates to the financial performance of a company; number, statistic) of deaths will be a testament (proof, evidence, attestation, testimony) to proactive governance. However, it is past time that (used to say that something should have happened or been done before now; it is long overdue, it is high time, it is late to act, it should have already occurred) States adopted (embrace, implement, take on, apply) a zero-disruption approach (a strategy or policy aimed at ensuring that normal services, operations, or life continue without any interruption during a crisis; seamless continuation strategy, uninterrupted operation policy), especially since property and infrastructure (the basic physical and organizational structures and facilities needed for the operation of a society or enterprise; facilities) were damaged, and the risk of people being pushed into (to force someone or something into a particular state or situation; force into, thrust into, propel into, drive into) poverty (destitution, penury, impoverishment, privation) over (concerning, regarding, about, with reference to) lost possessions (the state of having, owning, or controlling something; belonging, asset, property) and livelihoods (a means of securing the necessities of life; income, source of income, means of support, living) persists (continue, remain, last, endure).

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.proactive governance (noun)

Hindi Meaning - सक्रिय शासन
English Meaning - the act of managing public affairs by anticipating future problems, needs, or changes and acting in advance to address them rather than reacting to them after they happen; forward-looking administration, anticipatory management, pre-emptive leadership, foresighted governance.

2.casualty (noun)

Hindi Meaning - हताहत व्यक्ति
English Meaning - a person killed or injured in an accident, war, or natural disaster; victim, fatality, loss, sufferer.

3.storm (noun)

Hindi Meaning - तूफान, आँधी
English Meaning - a severe weather condition with strong winds, rain, thunder, and lightning; tempest, squall, gale, cyclone.

4.coast (noun)

Hindi Meaning - तट, समुद्र-तट
English Meaning - shoreline, seaboard, coastline, seashore.

5.tropical cyclone (noun)

Hindi Meaning - उष्णकटिबंधीय चक्रवात
English Meaning - a rotating storm system that develops over warm tropical or subtropical waters, bringing strong winds and heavy rainfall; cyclone, hurricane, typhoon, tropical storm.

6.North Indian Ocean (NIO) (proper noun)

Hindi Meaning - उत्तर हिंद महासागर
English Meaning - the northern part of the Indian Ocean, including the Arabian Sea (AS) and the Bay of Bengal (BoB); a region monitored for tropical cyclones by the India Meteorological Department’s Regional Specialised Meteorological Centre in New Delhi.

7.rapidly (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - तेज़ी से, शीघ्रता से
English Meaning - quickly, swiftly.

8.cyclonic storm (noun)

Hindi Meaning - चक्रवाती तूफान, चक्रवाती आँधी
English Meaning - a powerful spinning storm with low atmospheric pressure at the center, typically causing severe weather; tropical storm, typhoon, hurricane, tempest.

9.rapidity (noun)

Hindi Meaning - तीव्रता, तेज़ी
English Meaning - speed, swiftness, quickness, velocity.

10.forecaster (noun)

Hindi Meaning - पूर्वानुमानकर्ता
English Meaning - a person who predicts or calculates future weather conditions based on meteorological data; meteorologist, weather prophet, predictor.

11.North Indian Ocean cyclone season (noun)

Hindi Meaning - उत्तर हिंद महासागर में चक्रवातों का मौसम
English Meaning - the annual period and geographic basin wherein tropical cyclones form in the North Indian Ocean, typically impacting South Asian coastlines.

12.anticipate (verb)

Hindi Meaning - पूर्वानुमान लगाना, पहले से अंदाज़ा लगाना
English Meaning - foresee, predict, expect, forecast.

13.India Meteorological Department (IMD) (proper noun)

Hindi Meaning - भारत मौसम विज्ञान विभाग
English Meaning - the National Meteorological Service of India and the principal Government agency for matters relating to meteorology, seismology, and allied disciplines; it functions under the Ministry of Earth Sciences and provides weather and climate services, including meteorological observations and forecasting.

14.in the middle of (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - के बीच में, के दौरान
English Meaning - amidst, during, in the midst of, halfway through.

15.potentially (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - संभावित रूप से, संभवतः
English Meaning - possibly, conceivably, probably, maybe.

16.authority (noun)

English Meaning - official, administration, government, bureaucracy.

17.hunker down (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - to prepare yourself to stay in a safe place and wait for a dangerous situation to end; take shelter, take cover, wait out, shield.

18.Cyclone Arnab (noun)

English Meaning - an officially named severe cyclonic storm in the North Indian Ocean basin that made landfall on the eastern coast of India, causing heavy rainfall and disruption. (a tropical cyclone over the Bay of Bengal that crossed the Andhra Pradesh coast on 28 October 2026, bringing heavy rain and strong winds).

19.landfall (noun)

English Meaning - the event of a tropical cyclone reaching the coast and moving from sea onto land; arrival ashore, coming ashore, coastal crossing, reaching the coast.

20.model (noun)

English Meaning - a mathematical or computational representation used to simulate and predict weather patterns; simulation.

21.stall for a time (phrase)

English Meaning - to stop making progress or stop moving forward temporarily; pause temporarily, halt briefly, delay for a while, stop momentarily.

22.predict (verb)

English Meaning - forecast, foresee, prophesy, foretell.

23.narrower window (noun)

English Meaning - shorter timeframe, limited opportunity, brief opening, reduced time margin, limited period, restricted interval.

24.evacuate (verb)

English Meaning - to move people from a dangerous place to a safer one; remove, clear out, relocate, rescue.

25.settlement (noun)

English Meaning - a place where people establish or live together as a community; habitation, village, hamlet, colony.

26.core wind speed (noun)

English Meaning - the velocity of the winds near the central part of a cyclone or storm; central wind velocity, inner wind intensity, eye-wall wind rate, peak wind force.

27.deliver (verb)

English Meaning - yield, generate, produce, bring.

28.even though (phrase)

English Meaning - despite the fact that; although, albeit, despite, notwithstanding.

29.likely (adverb)

English Meaning - probably, presumably, doubtlessly, apparently.

30.face (verb)

English Meaning - to confront or deal with a difficult situation or problem; confront, encounter, experience, tackle.

31.threat (noun)

English Meaning - danger, risk, hazard, menace.

32.only hence (phrase)

English Meaning - purely therefore, simply from now on, solely thus, exclusively hereafter.

33.claim (verb)

English Meaning - (of a disaster or accident) to cause the loss of (life); take, cause the loss of, result in the death of, exact.

34.loss of life (phrase)

English Meaning - the fact of people dying, especially in an accident, war, or disaster; death toll, fatality, mortality, dying.

35.attribute to (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - to regard something as being caused by someone or something; ascribe to, assign to, accredit to, put down to.

36.disaster management operation (noun)

English Meaning - coordinated activities aimed at mitigating, preparing for, responding to, and recovering from the impact of severe events; emergency response, crisis handling, disaster relief, catastrophe mitigation.

37.regrettably (adverb)

English Meaning - unfortunately, sadly, unhappily, deplorably.

38.suspension (noun)

English Meaning - the temporary prevention of something from continuing or being in force; pausing, stoppage, halting, interruption.

39.road connectivity (noun)

English Meaning - the state or extent of being connected by roads, allowing for transport and communication; transport linkage, road network.

40.pose (verb)

English Meaning - present or create a threat, risk, challenge, or problem; present, constitute, create, cause.

41.entail (verb)

English Meaning - to involve something as a necessary or inevitable part or consequence; involve, require, necessitate, demand.

42.disruption (noun)

English Meaning - disturbance, interruption, disorder, interference.

43.account for (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - take into consideration, factor in, bear in mind, keep in mind.

44.address (verb)

English Meaning - to think about and begin to deal with an issue or problem; tackle, deal with, attend to, confront.

45.post-storm (adjective)

English Meaning - occurring or existing after a severe weather event; after-storm, subsequent to the tempest, post-cyclone, following the gale.

46.assessment (noun)

English Meaning - evaluation, appraisal, analysis, judgment.

47.brace for (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - to prepare oneself for something difficult or unpleasant; prepare for, get ready for, gear up for, fortify oneself for.

48.due to (phrase)

English Meaning - because of, owing to, on account of, as a result of.

49.moisture (noun)

English Meaning - water or other liquid diffused in a small quantity as vapor, within a solid, or condensed on a surface; dampness, wetness, humidity, vapor.

50.outer circulation (noun)

English Meaning - the broad, peripheral flow of air or wind surrounding the central core of a cyclone or weather system; peripheral wind pattern, external airflow, outlying atmospheric movement.

51.over (preposition)

English Meaning - across, traversing, passing through, above.

52.in patches (phrase)

English Meaning - sporadically, irregularly, unevenly, intermittently.

53.wettest (adjective)

English Meaning - rainiest, dampest, most waterlogged, most precipitation-heavy.

54.monsoon (noun)

English Meaning - a seasonal prevailing wind in South and Southeast Asia that brings heavy rainfall between May and September; the season of heavy rain during the summer in Asian countries;; rainy season, precipitation season, downpour season.

55.repeated (adjective)

English Meaning - recurring, frequent, continuous, constant.

56.drain (verb)

English Meaning - to cause the water to run out, leaving it empty or dry; empty, clear, dry out, siphon off.

57.following (preposition)

English Meaning - coming after or as a result of something; subsequent to, after, in the aftermath of, succeeding.

58.hilly terrain (noun)

English Meaning - an area of land that has many hills and uneven natural features; mountainous landscape, sloping land.

59.voice (verb)

English Meaning - articulate, express, state, declare.

60.prolonged (adjective)

English Meaning - lengthy, extended, protracted, drawn-out.

61.inundation (noun)

English Meaning - flooding, deluge, submergence, overflow.

62.paddy crop (noun)

English Meaning - a field of cultivated rice, usually flooded with water; rice cultivation, rice field harvest, flooded grain, wetland rice.

63.compound (verb)

English Meaning - to make a problem or bad situation worse; worsen, exacerbate, aggravate, magnify.

64.considerable (adjective)

English Meaning - substantial, significant, sizable, major.

65.consequence (noun)

English Meaning - outcome, result, repercussion, ramification.

66.Southwest Monsoon (SWM) (noun)

English Meaning - the seasonal southwesterly wind system that brings India’s principal rainy season from June to September, accounting for approximately 75–80% of the country’s annual rainfall. Its rainfall distribution varies across regions and over time due to geographical and atmospheric factors. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) specifies a Long Period Average (LPA) of 87 cm for the June–September season, based on rainfall data for 1971–2020.

67.Northeast Monsoon (NEM) (noun)

English Meaning - the seasonal monsoon system that affects parts of southern peninsular India from October to December, characterised by northeasterly winds that develop following the withdrawal of the southwest monsoon. These winds acquire moisture over the Bay of Bengal and bring rainfall to Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal, coastal Andhra Pradesh, Rayalaseema, Kerala, and South Interior Karnataka. It is the principal rainy season for Tamil Nadu, accounting for approximately 48% of the State’s annual rainfall, and contributes roughly 11% of India’s total annual rainfall.

68.however (adverb)

English Meaning - nevertheless, nonetheless, yet, on the other hand.

69.relieve (verb)

English Meaning - to cause pain, distress, or difficulty to become less severe or serious; alleviate, ease, soothe, mitigate.

70.moisture stress (noun)

English Meaning - a condition where plants suffer due to an inadequate supply of water, affecting their growth and yield; water deficit, drought stress.

71.dry (adjective)

English Meaning - arid, parched, waterless.

72.rainbelt (noun)

English Meaning - a geographic region that typically receives a high amount of rainfall; precipitation zone, wet region, heavy rain area, monsoon corridor.

73.extend (verb)

English Meaning - spread, stretch, expand, reach.

74.relatively (adverb)

English Meaning - comparatively, somewhat, reasonably, moderately.

75.figure (noun)

English Meaning - a number, especially one which forms part of official statistics or relates to the financial performance of a company; number, statistic.

76.testament (noun)

English Meaning - proof, evidence, attestation, testimony.

77.it is past time that (phrase)

English Meaning - used to say that something should have happened or been done before now; it is long overdue, it is high time, it is late to act, it should have already occurred.

78.adopt (verb)

English Meaning - embrace, implement, take on, apply.

79.zero-disruption approach (noun)

English Meaning - a strategy or policy aimed at ensuring that normal services, operations, or life continue without any interruption during a crisis; seamless continuation strategy, uninterrupted operation policy.

80.infrastructure (noun)

English Meaning - the basic physical and organizational structures and facilities needed for the operation of a society or enterprise; facilities.

81.push into (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - to force someone or something into a particular state or situation; force into, thrust into, propel into, drive into.

82.poverty (noun)

English Meaning - destitution, penury, impoverishment, privation.

83.over (preposition)

English Meaning - concerning, regarding, about, with reference to.

84.possession (noun)

English Meaning - the state of having, owning, or controlling something; belonging, asset, property.

85.livelihood (noun)

English Meaning - a means of securing the necessities of life; income, source of income, means of support, living.