A.P., Odisha on alert as cyclone ‘Arnab’ nears land | Highlights

The Andhra Pradesh government has directed officials to evacuate people from flood-prone areas, prioritise vulnerable residents, and deploy disaster response teams in the wake of the cyclonic storm ‘Arnab’. Chief Minister N.

Chandrababu Naidu has ordered heightened preparedness across the State, officials said, adding that 4,711 pregnant women will be shifted to safer healthcare facilities. They said 30,043 fishing boats have returned to the harbours.

The cyclone lay-centered around 590 km northwest of Sri Vijaya Puram (Andaman Islands), 650 km east-southeast of Vishakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), 730 km east-southeast of Kakinada (Andhra Pradesh), 830 km east of Machilipatnam (Andhra Pradesh) and 910 km east of Bapatla (Andhra Pradesh).

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday (October 26) directed officials to maintain round-the-clock vigilance and ensure comprehensive preparedness to minimise the impact of Cyclone Arnab and prevent loss of life.

Meanwhile, Rains continued to lash several parts of Tamil Nadu with the northeast monsoon keeping on with its active pace and the IMD said more showers are likely in the state till October 27. The Andhra Pradesh government on Monday released ₹27 crore to 20 districts for relief operations as Cyclone Arnab is expected to bring heavy rainfall and strong winds to the state, while 15 NDRF teams have been deployed across vulnerable locations ahead of the storm’s anticipated landfall on October 28.

The Odisha government announced the closure of all educational institutions in six southern districts and started moving people from vulnerable areas to safety as severe cyclonic storm Arnab headed towards making landfall on October 28.

In its latest bulletin, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the cyclone was very likely to continue to move west-northwestwards and intensify further into a very severe cyclonic storm over the same region during the next 12 hours.

“It is very likely to cross Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam as a very severe cyclonic storm with the maximum sustained wind speed of 115-125 kmph gusting up to 140 kmph by the forenoon of October 28.” Cyclone Arnab: Learn how tropical cyclones are named Severe cyclone Arnab nears Andhra coast, prompting red alerts for seven districts amid heavy rainfall, high winds, and disaster preparedness in AP.

The eastern coastal states of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh closed schools, prohibited sea fishing and kept rescue teams on standby, stepping up precautionary measures ahead of Cyclone Arnab’s expected landfall on Wednesday to ensure “zero loss of life and minimal damage to infrastructure”.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD), in its Monday morning bulletin, said a deep depression over east-central and southeast Bay of Bengal has moved westward and has intensified into cyclonic storm ‘Arnab’. The Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority has issued toll-free helpline numbers for emergency assistance.

People can contact the State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC) at 112, 1070 or 1800 425 0101 for help. The India Meteorological Department has forecast isolated extremely heavy rainfall over Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam on October 27–28, Odisha on October 28, Chhattisgarh on October 28–29, and east Uttar Pradesh on October 29.

Cyclone ‘Arnab’, over the central Bay of Bengal, has moved at 13 kmph over the past six hours and is expected to intensify into a severe cyclone shortly. It is currently centred 540 km from Visakhapatnam, 620 km from Kakinada, 720 km from Machilipatnam and 790 km from Bapatla.

Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority said the cyclone has moved at a speed of 13 km per hour over the past 6 hours. Currently, it is centered 580 km from Visakhapatnam, 660 km from Kakinada, 760 km from Machilipatnam, and 830 km from Bapatla.

​​ In the last 24 hours ending 6 a.m. on Monday (October 26, 2026), Rameswaram, Pamban, Thangachimadam and R.S. Mangalam in Ramanathapuram district recorded over 100 mm rainfall. Normal life was hit badly as overnight rains lashed many parts of the district.