Cyclone Arnab crossed the Andhra Pradesh-Yanam coast on Wednesday, October 28, as a very severe cyclonic storm, bringing heavy rain and strong winds to coastal Andhra Pradesh and southern Odisha and forcing more than 1 lakh people into shelters.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the landfall process was completed by Wednesday morning, with the system moving entirely over land. It later weakened into a severe cyclonic storm, but heavy rain, gusty winds and landslide risks remain for districts across southern Odisha and parts of Andhra Pradesh.
This report covers the landfall itself — the event that happened on October 28. It follows earlier coverage of Cyclone Arnab’s intensification and Odisha’s earlier cyclone alert, which tracked the storm before it reached the coast.
What happened
According to the IMD, Cyclone Arnab crossed the Andhra Pradesh-Yanam coast between 2 am and 8 am on October 28 as a very severe cyclonic storm, with maximum sustained wind speeds of 125–135 kmph and gusts reaching 150 kmph.
By 8:30 am, the system had weakened into a severe cyclonic storm, with wind speeds dropping to 110–120 kmph. The IMD said the system is likely to move north-northwestwards over the next 48 hours, crossing southern Odisha before tracking towards Chhattisgarh and weakening into a cyclonic storm and then a deep depression.
At landfall, the storm was positioned close to the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coast — about 30 km east of Narsapur, 45 km south-southwest of Yanam and 70 km south-southwest of Kakinada, according to the IMD’s morning bulletin.
Evacuations in Andhra Pradesh
In Andhra Pradesh, the State Disaster Management Authority evacuated more than 84,000 people. Officials warned that Kakinada, Konaseema and East Godavari districts would face gale-force winds of 125–135 kmph as the landfall process continued.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu urged coastal residents to remain indoors and follow government advisories. He said 290 shelters had been set up, accommodating 84,396 people.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Navy and Coast Guard were placed on alert. More than 30,000 fishing boats had returned from the sea, and in Gopalpur, 93 Andhra Pradesh boats and their crews were reported safe.
Nearly 5,000 pregnant women were shifted to health centres and hospitals, while 8,400 personnel were kept on standby to respond to power disruptions. Tankers and generators were arranged to ensure safe drinking water supplies.
Naidu also warned of possible flooding in the Nagavali and Vamsadhara rivers in North Coastal Andhra, with drones kept on standby to deliver food and medicines to inundated villages. Officials said agricultural crops across 7.16 lakh hectares and horticultural crops covering 16 lakh hectares could be affected.
No injuries or casualties had been reported in Andhra Pradesh at the time of the reports, although some old, uninhabited buildings had collapsed.
Odisha on high alert
In neighbouring Odisha, more than 30,000 people had been evacuated, with the entire southern region on high alert, Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said.
“The cyclone is presently within Andhra Pradesh, and it will later in the afternoon touch Odisha,” Pujari said, adding that personnel and equipment had been mobilised at vulnerable locations and evacuations were continuing.
Malkangiri was likely to be the worst hit among the southern districts. Authorities focused on Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri and Nabarangpur, moving people from low-lying and landslide-prone areas to shelters.
Schools and anganwadi centres in 16 of Odisha’s 30 districts remained closed on Wednesday as a precaution. As many as 2,037 cyclone shelters had been readied with food, drinking water and other essential supplies. The administrations in Kalahandi, Kandhamal and Nuapada were also on alert.
Pujari said 313 response teams had been deployed: 60 Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) teams, nine NDRF teams and 244 Fire and Emergency Services teams. All 19,143 fishing boats had returned to shore, and temporary road closures had been implemented in landslide-prone areas.
“Achieving zero casualties is our primary motto,” the minister added. Reports of uprooted trees had emerged from some southern districts, but no major damage or casualties had been reported, Pujari said.
Damage and disruption so far
The cyclone uprooted trees and power poles in coastal areas, causing power outages in several places. Heavy rain and strong winds battered districts including Anakapalli, Visakhapatnam, Kakinada and Konaseema, flooding low-lying areas and disrupting power supply.
Police rescued stranded people in Kakinada, while the state government stepped up relief operations. Chief Minister Naidu reviewed the situation and directed officials to clear fallen trees, restore power once conditions improve and prevent tanks and canals from overflowing.
In Odisha, the storm’s outer bands had already triggered continuous rain and strong winds in Koraput, Rayagada, Gajapati and Ganjam districts before the system moved inland.
Red alerts and what happens next
The IMD issued a red alert for rainfall exceeding 20 cm in Malkangiri, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Rayagada, Gajapati and Kalahandi, warning of possible localised landslides in hilly areas.
Heavy to very heavy rain, accompanied by winds of 40–60 kmph, was also forecast in Bargarh, Subarnapur, Boudh, Nuapada, Balangir, Kandhamal, Puri, Khordha and Nayagarh. An orange alert was issued for Sundargarh, Jharsuguda and Bargarh for October 29.
Regional Meteorological Centre, Bhubaneswar, director Manorama Mohanty said winds could reach 60–70 kmph, with gusts of up to 80 kmph, as the system moved inland.
Residents in the affected districts are advised to stay indoors during heavy rain and strong winds, avoid travelling through waterlogged or landslide-prone areas, and follow official advisories from the IMD and district administrations. People in shelters should wait for official clearance before returning home, as power lines, fallen trees and flooded roads may still pose risks after the winds ease.
Over the next 48 hours, the system is expected to weaken further as it moves across southern Odisha towards Chhattisgarh, but heavy rain will continue to be the main threat even after wind speeds fall.
Timeline
- 2 am – 8 am, October 28: Cyclone Arnab crosses the Andhra Pradesh-Yanam coast as a very severe cyclonic storm, with winds of 125–135 kmph and gusts up to 150 kmph.
- 8:30 am, October 28: The system weakens into a severe cyclonic storm, with winds dropping to 110–120 kmph.
- Morning, October 28: Landfall process declared complete, with the system’s central region moving fully over land.
- October 28: More than 84,000 people sheltered in Andhra Pradesh and over 30,000 evacuated in Odisha; schools closed in 16 Odisha districts.
- Afternoon, October 28: The system moves towards southern Odisha, bringing heavy rain and winds of 60–70 kmph inland.
- October 29: Orange alert in force for Sundargarh, Jharsuguda and Bargarh, with heavy to very heavy rain and gusty winds forecast.
- Next 48 hours: The system is expected to track north-northwestwards towards Chhattisgarh, weakening into a cyclonic storm and then a deep depression.
Why this matters
Cyclone Arnab is the first major Bay of Bengal storm to make landfall in this stretch of the east coast in this cycle, and its timing — arriving with winds above 125 kmph — tested evacuation and shelter systems in two states at once. The scale of the evacuation, more than 1 lakh people in total, shows how seriously both state governments treated the threat, particularly for low-lying coastal villages and landslide-prone hill districts.
The next phase of risk is not the wind but the water: extremely heavy rain over southern Odisha’s hill districts raises the danger of localised landslides and river flooding, even as the storm weakens. That is why the red alerts remain in place after landfall, and why officials are urging residents not to treat the weakening storm as the end of the danger.
FAQs
When did Cyclone Arnab make landfall?
Cyclone Arnab crossed the Andhra Pradesh-Yanam coast between 2 am and 8 am on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, as a very severe cyclonic storm.
How strong was Cyclone Arnab at landfall?
At landfall, the storm had maximum sustained wind speeds of 125–135 kmph, with gusts reaching 150 kmph. It weakened to a severe cyclonic storm by 8:30 am, with winds of 110–120 kmph.
How many people were evacuated?
More than 84,000 people were evacuated in Andhra Pradesh and over 30,000 in Odisha — more than 1 lakh people in total.
Were there any casualties?
No injuries or casualties had been reported in either state at the time of the reports, although some old, uninhabited buildings collapsed in Andhra Pradesh and trees were uprooted in southern Odisha.
Which districts are under red alert?
The IMD issued a red alert for extremely heavy rainfall in Malkangiri, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Rayagada, Gajapati and Kalahandi, with a warning of possible localised landslides in hilly areas.
Where is Cyclone Arnab headed next?
The system is expected to move north-northwestwards over the next 48 hours, crossing southern Odisha before tracking towards Chhattisgarh and weakening into a cyclonic storm and then a deep depression.
Related coverage
Read our earlier coverage of Cyclone Arnab’s intensification and Odisha’s earlier cyclone alert, and visit the World section for more international and regional news.