Cyclone Arnab is moving across the Bay of Bengal towards the Andhra Pradesh coast and is expected to make landfall on Wednesday morning, October 28. Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Telangana and Chhattisgarh, along with the Union Territory of Puducherry, are on alert as the storm is forecast to strengthen into a very severe cyclonic storm.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD), in its bulletin issued on Monday, said the cyclone was centred over the east-central and adjoining west-central Bay of Bengal at 5.30 am, about 650 km east-southeast of Visakhapatnam. It had moved westwards at 15 kmph over the preceding six hours.
The storm is expected to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm by midnight on Monday and strengthen further into a very severe cyclonic storm on Tuesday. The IMD has forecast landfall along the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts, between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam, with sustained wind speeds of 115–125 kmph and gusts reaching 140 kmph.
The weather department has also advised fishermen not to venture into the sea along and off the Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Yanam coasts between October 26 and 29. Squally weather is expected over parts of the Bay of Bengal, while the IMD has warned of possible landslides in Darjeeling district amid the expected weather conditions.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has directed officials to remain on alert around the clock, set up district control rooms and issue regular warnings in coastal areas.
Fishing boats have been asked to return to shore. Authorities are also arranging to move pregnant women nearing their delivery dates to hospitals ahead of the storm.
The state has positioned 10 teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), while 16 additional teams are on standby across the country. Visakhapatnam district authorities have deployed rescue personnel and alerted the Navy and Coast Guard to assist if required.
The state Energy Department has kept 25,000 electric poles and other essential materials ready to deal with possible damage to power infrastructure and disruptions to electricity supply.
In Odisha, six southern districts have been identified as vulnerable to the approaching cyclone: Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Malkangiri, Koraput and Nabarangpur.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has assigned eight ministers to oversee preparedness and coordinate response measures. Teams from the NDRF, Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), fire services and police have been deployed in vulnerable areas.
Authorities across the affected regions are monitoring the storm’s movement and preparing for possible evacuations, heavy rainfall and disruption to essential services.
The IMD has forecast that Cyclone Arnab will cross the Andhra Pradesh coast on Wednesday morning. Officials have urged residents in vulnerable areas to follow local advisories and warnings as the system approaches the coast.
