Cyclone Arnab Update: IMD Says Storm Likely To Hit Andhra Coast Between Bapatla And Visakhapatnam

Cyclone Arnab has intensified into a cyclonic storm over the Bay of Bengal and is likely to strengthen into a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm before landfall on the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) stated that the system is moving across the east-central and adjoining west-central Bay of Bengal and is expected to cross the coast between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam in the forenoon of Wednesday, 28 October 2026.

The storm is currently about 650 km east-southeast of Visakhapatnam and 730 km east-southeast of Kakinada, according to the IMD. Wind speeds at landfall are forecast at 115-125 kmph with gusts up to 140 kmph.

That has triggered evacuations and emergency deployments in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. Coastal districts are preparing for heavy to extremely heavy rainfall, rough sea conditions and the risk of flooding in low-lying areas.

Storm Track And Name

Arnab means "ocean" in Bengali. The name was contributed by Bangladesh under the regional tropical cyclone naming list maintained by the WMO/ESCAP Panel.

The storm is moving west-northwestwards and is forecast to intensify further before landfall. IMD has projected it to become a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm as it approaches the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts.

The weather threat is broad. Sustained winds of 115-125 kmph with gusts up to 140 kmph are expected, along with heavy to extremely heavy rainfall and rough sea conditions over coastal Andhra Pradesh and parts of southern Odisha.

Andhra Pradesh Preparations

Evacuations begin Monday evening. Andhra Pradesh authorities have identified 570,000 people as vulnerable in high-risk coastal and low-lying areas.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has placed 10 NDRF teams and 11 SDRF teams on standby as the state prepares for landfall between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam. District administrations have also opened control rooms and set up relief centres.

The focus is on moving people out early from exposed stretches before sea and wind conditions worsen. The state’s pre-landfall measures are aimed at coastal settlements and flood-prone pockets.

Odisha And Sea Response

Odisha has also begun evacuations. The state government has started moving residents from low-lying and landslide-prone areas in vulnerable southern districts.

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has deployed 60 ODRAF teams, 17 NDRF teams and 225 Fire Services teams. Schools and colleges in affected districts have been shut for Tuesday and Wednesday.

At sea, restrictions are already in force. More than 4,800 fishing boats have returned safely to the Kakinada coast and other harbours, and fishermen have been barred from venturing into the rough Bay of Bengal waters.

Safety Steps For Residents

Citizens in red-alert coastal zones of Andhra Pradesh and southern Odisha have been asked to act early:

• Identify the nearest government-designated cyclone shelter or a concrete structure on higher ground

• Move early if you live in a low-lying area or in a thatched or kutcha house

• Pack a waterproof emergency kit with a torch, extra batteries, a power bank, a first-aid kit, copies of essential documents, medicines and a whistle

• Store a 3-to-5-day supply of non-perishable ready-to-eat dry food and clean drinking water in sealed containers

• Tie down or move inside loose patio furniture, cycles, flower pots and tools

• Fit storm shutters or brace windows and doors securely from the inside

• Fully charge mobile phones and emergency power banks now, and unplug luxury electronics once the storm hits

• Follow the full fishing ban and keep commercial and mechanised boats anchored securely at port

• Clear drains around homes to reduce waterlogging from rainfall that is forecast to reach up to 210 mm

• Unloose domestic animals from outdoor tethers or move them into reinforced indoor structures

• Follow only official updates from local authorities, state disaster management cells or the IMD Weather Tracker