Cyclone Arnab landfall is expected near Yanam on the morning of Wednesday, 28 October 2026, and coastal Andhra Pradesh is spending the night before impact in shelters, control rooms and cancelled-train lists. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) expects the storm to cross the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam, close to Yanam, as a very severe cyclonic storm in the forenoon, with maximum sustained winds of 125 to 135 kmph gusting to 150 kmph. The storm is trending per news coverage across India as the landfall window approaches, with evacuations under way, schools closed and ports on great-danger signals.
Arnab intensified into a very severe cyclonic storm early on Tuesday, 27 October, after moving westwards across the west-central Bay of Bengal. At 08:30 IST on Tuesday, the IMD placed its centre near latitude 16.0 degrees North and longitude 84.3 degrees East, about 220 km south-southeast of Visakhapatnam, 240 km east-southeast of Kakinada and 340 km east-southeast of Machilipatnam. It had moved west-northwestwards at about 20 kmph over the previous six hours. The name Arnab was proposed by Bangladesh and is associated with a Bengali word meaning ocean or sea; it is pronounced Ornab.
This is a fast-moving landfall story, and the details that matter most are the landfall time, the wind and rain forecast, who has been moved to safety, and what is closed or cancelled. The storm was first tracked in an earlier Cyclone Arnab forecast when it was still developing over the Bay of Bengal. What follows is what changed as it strengthened, what officials expect on Wednesday morning, and how people in the affected districts should prepare.
When and Where Is the Cyclone Arnab Landfall Happening?
The IMD forecast is specific about the track. The storm was very likely to keep moving west-northwestwards until the evening of Tuesday, 27 October, and then turn northwestwards towards the coast. Landfall is expected by the forenoon of Wednesday, 28 October, between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam, close to Yanam. Yanam, a small coastal enclave surrounded by Andhra Pradesh, sits in the expected crossing zone, which is why it features so prominently in warnings even though the wider impact area covers several coastal districts.
Sixteen districts in Andhra Pradesh are on high alert, according to reports of the state disaster management response. Coastal districts including Kakinada, East and West Godavari, Konaseema, Krishna, Guntur, Bapatla, Anakapalli and Visakhapatnam are in the primary impact zone, while inland districts are preparing for heavy rain as the system moves inland and weakens. The Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA) has said the cyclone will maintain its track towards the coastline, and residents in low-lying and coastal areas have been urged to follow official advisories and evacuation instructions rather than relying on social media rumours about the exact landfall point, which can shift by a few dozen kilometres between bulletins.
IMD Cyclone Warning Centre Director P. L. N. Murthy said the severe cyclonic storm had moved westwards at 23 kmph on Monday and intensified into a very severe cyclonic storm at 02:30 IST on Tuesday. That intensification is the key change from the earlier forecast: the storm is now expected to arrive stronger than first projected, with landfall winds at the top end of the very severe category. Anyone in the coastal belt should treat the forenoon of 28 October as the period of greatest danger, with conditions deteriorating from Tuesday evening as rain bands and gusty winds reach the coast ahead of the centre.
Cyclone Arnab Landfall: Wind Speed, Rain and Flooding to Expect
At landfall, the IMD expects sustained winds of 125 to 135 kmph, gusting to 150 kmph. Winds at that strength can uproot trees, damage thatched and tiled roofs, snap power lines and throw loose objects through the air. Earlier forecasts had put landfall winds slightly lower, at 115 to 125 kmph gusting to 140 kmph, so the upward revision matters for anyone deciding whether a building, shelter or vehicle is safe enough. Even well away from the centre, gusty winds of 50 to 60 kmph were already forecast for districts including Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Anakapalli on Tuesday, with light rain, thunderstorms and lightning.
Rain is the second major threat, and in many cyclones it causes more harm than the wind. The IMD has warned of extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places along the coast, and six reservoirs in the region, including Tandava, Raiwada and Yeleru, could reach full capacity following the forecast rainfall. Heavy rain and flash flooding after a storm passes are a familiar pattern in this region, as seen in the Australia east coast storms and flash flooding coverage this month, where floodwater, not wind, became the main danger for many households. In Andhra Pradesh, officials have stockpiled tens of thousands of electric poles and related equipment to restore power quickly, and power utilities are preparing for outages across the coastal network.
Coastal flooding is also a risk where the storm pushes seawater onto low-lying land, and waves were already crashing on deserted beaches with shops shuttered along the affected coast on Tuesday. Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea until the morning of 30 October, and ports have raised danger signals: Kakinada is on Great Danger signal 10, Visakhapatnam and Gangavaram on Great Danger 9, Machilipatnam and Nizamapatnam on Great Danger 8, and Kalingapatnam, Krishnapatnam and Vadarevu on Local Cautionary signal 3. Those signals are a direct instruction to shipping and fishing communities to stay clear of the sea, not a background detail.
Evacuations, Shelters and the Zero-Casualty Plan
Evacuation is the centrepiece of the official response, and the numbers show how large the operation has become. Nearly 50,000 people had been moved to shelters from vulnerable areas by Monday night, out of an estimated 400,000 people who may need evacuation, APSDMA Managing Director Prakhar Jain told Reuters, adding that evacuation was continuing. In the Kakinada region, reports put evacuations at around 89,000 people moved to 101 relief camps. In Visakhapatnam district, 10,176 households across 37 villages were identified as being at risk, with 54 relief camps set up to accommodate 31,405 people.
Across Andhra Pradesh, authorities have readied 1,763 cyclone shelters and 2,907 control rooms, and 15 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have been deployed at vulnerable locations, alongside State Disaster Response Force, Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard units. The state government has released 27 crore rupees to 20 districts for relief operations, with higher allocations of around 2 crore rupees each to the most vulnerable coastal districts, including Bapatla, Krishna, Konaseema, East and West Godavari, Kakinada and Anakapalli. Authorities are also preparing to relocate 4,711 pregnant women to hospitals and health centres, and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has reviewed the state's cyclone preparedness and directed round-the-clock vigilance and district control rooms.
The stated goal, repeated in official briefings, is zero casualties. That target depends on people leaving low-lying homes when told to, staying in shelters until the all-clear, and not returning to check on property while winds and floodwater are still dangerous. Officials have emphasised preparedness, rapid evacuation and coordinated rescue, and have warned residents to secure loose outdoor objects, keep essential medicines and documents accessible, and avoid flooded roads and coastal areas. If you are in a shelter, follow the instructions of the staff running it; if you are asked to move, move early, because roads that are passable in the morning may be cut by water or fallen trees by the afternoon.
Cyclone Arnab Landfall Disruption: Trains, Flights, Schools and Ports
Transport disruption is already widespread, and it will get worse before it improves. The South Coast Railway has cancelled 53 train services on 27 and 28 October, affecting routes linked to Vijayawada, Rajahmundry, Machilipatnam, Narasapur, Bhimavaram, Kakinada Port, Guntur and Visakhapatnam. Passengers have been urged to check the status of their specific train before travelling, because cancellations and short-terminations are being updated as the forecast changes. In Odisha, the South Coast Railway cancelled eight trains and short-terminated two as a precaution.
Air travel has also been affected, with flight cancellations and diversions reported at Visakhapatnam Airport and Vijayawada Airport, and additional cancellations affecting some flights between Chennai and impacted destinations. Travellers should confirm reservations directly with their airline, as schedules for 28 October depend on when the storm clears and runways and approach paths are checked. Road travel is disrupted too: beaches are shut, coastal road traffic in Andhra Pradesh was expected to be suspended from Tuesday afternoon, and tourist ferry and passenger boat services in Chilika Lake in Odisha have been suspended, with boats and floating bridges secured at jetties.
Schools and colleges have been closed in affected areas as a precaution. In Odisha, schools, colleges and Anganwadi centres in six southern districts, Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Malkangiri, Koraput and Nabarangpur, will remain closed on 28 and 29 October, while Anganwadi centres in Ganjam were also shut on 27 October. In the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, all schools were ordered to remain closed until Tuesday as a precaution. The Andhra Pradesh Medical Council has postponed certain counselling sessions. Parents and students should follow district orders for reopening dates, which will depend on damage checks and power restoration, not on a single statewide announcement.
What Cyclone Arnab Means for Odisha, West Bengal and Nepal
Odisha is outside the expected landfall zone but is still bracing for serious weather. The state is expecting heavy rain and winds gusting up to 80 kmph, has banned fishing, restricted public access to beaches, hills, waterfalls, dams and other tourist spots in vulnerable areas, and is moving residents of low-lying and landslide-prone locations in the Eastern Ghats to safety, prioritising pregnant women, senior citizens, children and people with disabilities. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has deputed eight ministers to oversee preparations, cancelled official leave in affected districts, and opened control rooms. Twenty-four Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force teams and six NDRF teams have been deployed, and farmers have been advised to harvest and safely store crops that are 80 to 85 per cent mature.
West Bengal is also in the rain footprint. Heavy rain is expected in South 24 Parganas, Purba and Paschim Medinipur, Jhargram, Bankura and Purulia between 28 and 30 October, with heavy rainfall in the sub-Himalayan districts of Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri on 29 and 30 October and a landslide warning issued for Darjeeling. The National Crisis Management Committee has also called for preparedness in Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh, where rainfall associated with the weather system is expected. The storm's influence therefore extends well beyond the landfall point, and the rain, not the wind, is what most inland districts need to prepare for.
Further north, Nepal has cautioned tourists against venturing into high-altitude areas, fearing Cyclone Arnab could trigger torrential downpours, snowstorms and avalanches in the Himalayan region from Thursday night through Saturday. The warning comes as Nepal is still recovering from a deadly flash flood in August, which Reuters reported killed about 1,500 people. Trekkers and tour operators in the Himalayas should check local forecasts and official advice before setting out, because mountain weather can change far faster than the coastal forecast suggests, and a storm that is weakening over the Indian plains can still dump heavy snow and rain at altitude.
How to Stay Safe During the Cyclone Arnab Landfall
The safest place during landfall is indoors, away from windows, in a sturdy building or an official shelter. Do not go outside to watch the storm, film the waves or check on a vehicle, and do not assume the calm at the centre of the storm means it is over: winds will return from the opposite direction, often stronger, once the eye passes. Keep phones charged, keep a battery radio or a charged power bank if you have one, and keep emergency numbers and district control room contacts written down in case mobile networks fail. The Mauritius cyclone season safety guide sets out the same basic principles that apply anywhere a cyclone makes landfall: prepare early, stay inside during the worst weather, and wait for the official all-clear before going out.
After the wind eases, the dangers change rather than disappear. Avoid flooded roads, do not walk or drive through moving water, stay away from fallen power lines and damaged buildings, and be careful of contaminated water and food that has been in floodwater. Check on elderly neighbours and relatives once it is safe to move, but leave rescue and power restoration to trained teams where there is any risk. If your home has been damaged, photograph the damage for any insurance or relief claim, but do not enter a building that looks structurally unsafe. Finally, keep following IMD bulletins and district administration orders: the next bulletin, not a forwarded message, is the authoritative source for when the warning is lifted and when trains, schools and ports reopen.
What Happens After Landfall?
Once Arnab crosses the coast, it is expected to weaken as it moves inland, but its rain will continue. The immediate priorities will be restoring power, clearing roads, checking shelters and hospitals, and assessing damage to homes, crops and fishing boats. The fishermen's warning runs until the morning of 30 October, which gives a sense of how long rough seas are expected to last even after the centre is ashore. Damage figures, casualty reports and reopening dates will emerge district by district, and early estimates should be treated with caution until officials have completed their checks.
For readers following this story, the next update to watch is the IMD bulletin after landfall, which will confirm where the storm actually crossed, how strong it was, and how fast it is weakening. That bulletin, together with district administration statements, will set the timetable for the return to normal life in the coastal districts. Until then, the message from every official involved is the same: stay safe, stay informed, and stay out of the way of the storm.
Sources: India Meteorological Department cyclone bulletins; ANI reporting on IMD and Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority statements; Reuters reporting on evacuations and the Nepal warning. Figures in this article are as reported on 27 October 2026; follow the latest IMD bulletin and district administration orders for live updates.