RANCHI: The Jharkhand government has ordered the closure of schools till October 29 in several districts in the wake of rainfall triggered by cyclone 'Arnab', which made landfall in the Andhra Pradesh coast in the early hours of Wednesday, officials said.

Ranchi, West Singhbhum, East Singhbhum and Simdega district administrations said schools will remain closed on Wednesday and Thursday.

The weather system hit the Andhra Pradesh coast between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam as a “very severe” cyclonic storm, with maximum sustained wind speeds of 125-135 kmph gusting to 150 kmph. The landfall process started around 1.20 am, the IMD said.

Districts like Ranchi, West Singhbhum and East Singhbhum have been experiencing intermittent rainfall since Tuesday night under the impact of the cyclone, it said.

"In all government, government-aided and private schools operating within Ranchi district, academic activities for Classes KG to 12 shall remain suspended on October 28-29," an official statement said.

Abhishek Anand, Deputy Director at Ranchi Meteorological Centre, said light rainfall has been occurring in many districts of the state since Tuesday night due to accumulation of cyclonic clouds.

"The major impact of the cyclone will be visible over Jharkhand between Wednesday afternoon and Thursday," he said.