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Cyclone Arnab landfall hit the Andhra Pradesh coast in the early hours of Wednesday, October 28, 2026, as a very severe cyclonic storm, forcing more than 100,000 people to evacuate as winds of up to 135 kilometres per hour and torrential rain battered India’s south-eastern coast.
The storm crossed the coast between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), with gusts reaching 150 kmph. Authorities in Andhra Pradesh and the neighbouring state of Odisha moved tens of thousands of people into shelters ahead of the landfall, and disaster response teams were placed on alert across the region.
Cyclone Arnab Landfall and Evacuations
The Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority evacuated more than 84,000 people to 290 shelters, warning that the districts of Kakinada, Konaseema and East Godavari would face gale-force winds of 125-135 kmph as the landfall process continued, according to The Indian Express. In Odisha, the state government evacuated more than 30,000 people, with southern districts placed on high alert.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu urged coastal residents to remain indoors and follow government advisories. “Protecting every life is our foremost priority,” Naidu said as the storm approached the coast, according to the Malay Mail, which cited AFP.
Nearly 5,000 pregnant women were shifted to health centres and hospitals, while 8,400 personnel were placed on standby to respond to power disruptions. Tankers and generators were arranged to ensure safe drinking water supplies, and drones were kept ready to deliver food and medicines to villages cut off by flooding.
In Gopalpur, 93 boats from Andhra Pradesh and their crews were reported safe, officials said. More than 30,000 fishing boats had returned to shore before the storm arrived. Clothes hung to dry inside a temporary shelter set up at a school in Kakinada as the cyclone approached late on Tuesday, according to photographs published with the reports. In Odisha, officials said all 19,143 fishing boats had returned, and 313 response teams had been deployed, including 60 Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force teams, nine National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams and 244 Fire and Emergency Services teams.
Heavy Rain and Flooding Risks
The IMD said the storm was continuing to interact with the land surface along the coast between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam, and warned of heavy to extremely heavy rain in both states. A red alert was issued for rainfall exceeding 20 centimetres in the Odisha districts of Malkangiri, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Rayagada, Gajapati and Kalahandi, with warnings of possible localised landslides in hilly areas.
Naidu warned of possible flooding in the Nagavali and Vamsadhara rivers in North Coastal Andhra. Agricultural crops across 7.16 lakh hectares and horticultural crops covering 16 lakh hectares could be affected, officials said.
In Kakinada, close to the heart of the storm, gales rocked trees and heavy waves crashed ashore as rain poured down on the port city. Kotesh Kumar, a 35-year-old resident, told AFP he had “never seen anything like this before”, adding that the government had warned residents to stock up on groceries.
The Indian Express reported that no injuries or casualties had been reported in the early hours after landfall, though some old, uninhabited buildings had collapsed. Its live updates also reported two people electrocuted in separate incidents in Anakapalli and Visakhapatnam.
Storm Weakens as It Moves Inland
The IMD said Cyclone Arnab had weakened into a severe cyclonic storm after landfall and was expected to track north-northwest towards Chhattisgarh over the next 48 hours, weakening further into a deep depression.
West Bengal was bracing for heavy rainfall and strong winds until October 31, with coastal and southern districts, including Kolkata, already experiencing moderate to heavy rain and thundershowers, according to PTI. Neighbouring Sri Lanka and Nepal also issued weather warnings ahead of the storm.
Odisha’s Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said the cyclone was expected to affect all southern districts of the state, with Malkangiri likely to bear the brunt of the impact. “Achieving zero casualties is our primary motto,” he said, adding that personnel and equipment had been mobilised at vulnerable locations and evacuation was continuing.
The NDRF was carrying out road clearance operations in Anakapalli district to restore connectivity for emergency teams, and authorities in both states said they would continue to warn residents of heavy rainfall, river flooding and landslide risks as the system moved inland.
Cyclones, called hurricanes in the North Atlantic and typhoons in the Pacific, are a regular menace in the Bay of Bengal and the northern Indian Ocean, and the region’s disaster management systems are tested almost every year by storms forming over warm waters in the autumn months. The Cyclone Arnab landfall is the latest reminder that the Bay of Bengal remains one of the world’s most storm-prone regions.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Cyclone Arnab make landfall?
Cyclone Arnab made landfall on the Andhra Pradesh coast in the early hours of Wednesday, October 28, 2026, as a very severe cyclonic storm, according to the India Meteorological Department.
How strong were the winds at landfall?
Winds reached 125-135 kilometres per hour at landfall, with gusts of up to 150 kmph, the IMD said.
How many people were evacuated?
More than 100,000 people were evacuated across Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, including over 84,000 people moved to 290 shelters in Andhra Pradesh and more than 30,000 in Odisha.
Where is the cyclone heading next?
The IMD said the storm had weakened into a severe cyclonic storm and was expected to track north-northwest towards Chhattisgarh over the next 48 hours, weakening further into a deep depression.
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