Cyclone Arnab wreaks havoc: Heavy rain batters Andhra Pradesh, Odisha as landfall continues; IMD warns of winds up to 140 kmph
PTC News Desk: Powerful Cyclone Arnab made landfall along the Andhra Pradesh coast early Wednesday. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the process would continue for the next few hours.
The IMD classified Arnab as a “very severe” cyclonic storm, the third-highest category on its scale. According to its bulletin issued at 6:30 am, the cyclone was over the west-central Bay of Bengal, near the coasts of Andhra Pradesh and Yanam.
At the time, the cyclone was around 30 km east of Narsapur, 45 km south-southwest of Yanam, 70 km south-southwest of Kakinada and 90 km east-northeast of Machilipatnam.
గడిచిన 24 గంటల్లో అర్నబ్ తుపాను కదలికలు : APSDMA
#CycloneArnab #ArnabCyclone #CycloneArnabUpdates #BayOfBengal #APSDMA #AndhraPradesh #RTGS #WeatherUpdate #CycloneReliefMeasuresInAP https://t.co/YDijiSMayP
— Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (@APSDMA) October 28, 2026
The weather department forecast winds of 115–125 kmph, with gusts reaching 140 kmph. A storm surge of 1 to 1.5 metres above the normal tide level was also expected, raising the risk of flooding in low-lying areas of Andhra Pradesh.
Over 1.8 lakh people evacuated
Cyclone Arnab brought heavy rainfall to several districts in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. Authorities evacuated more than 1.8 lakh people from vulnerable areas ahead of the storm.
In Andhra Pradesh, Visakhapatnam recorded the highest rainfall, receiving 216 mm between 8:30 am on October 27 and 5:30 am on October 28. Kalingapatnam recorded 147 mm, Kakinada received 118 mm, and Machilipatnam recorded 115 mm during the same period.
Several airlines cancelled flights to Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada scheduled for Wednesday. In Odisha, districts including Ganjam and Balasore also experienced heavy rainfall.
No deaths had been reported in either state so far. However, power supply was disrupted, trees were uprooted and some schools were closed. Several train services were also cancelled.
Officials warned that heavy rainfall could continue on Wednesday and Thursday due to the cyclone’s impact.
How did Cyclone get its name 'Arnab' ?
The name “Arnab” was proposed by Bangladesh and is part of the official list of tropical cyclone names adopted in 2020 by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) Panel on Tropical Cyclones.
The list includes names submitted by 13 countries: Bangladesh, India, Iran, the Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
Each country contributed 13 names, bringing the total to 169. These names are used in sequence for tropical cyclones that develop over the North Indian Ocean, including the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea.
- PTC NEWS
