Very severe cyclonic storm Arnab completed its landfall on the Andhra Pradesh coast on Wednesday morning, October 28, 2026, bringing ferocious winds and torrential rain to India’s south-eastern coast and forcing nearly 100,000 people to evacuate their homes in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the system crossed the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts between 2 am and 8 am, then weakened into a severe cyclonic storm as it moved fully over land.
Key Takeaways
- Cyclone Arnab completed landfall on the Andhra Pradesh-Yanam coast on Wednesday morning, October 28, with sustained winds of 125-135 kmph and gusts reaching 150 kmph.
- The storm weakened into a severe cyclonic storm around 8:30 am, with winds easing to 110-120 kmph as it moved over land.
- Nearly 100,000 people were evacuated in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, and more than 2,000 cyclone shelters were kept ready in Odisha.
The landfall marked the climax of a storm that had been tracked across the Bay of Bengal for days. Arnab had approached the Andhra coast as a very severe cyclonic storm, prompting evacuations, school closures and emergency preparations across the region before it struck. By Wednesday morning, that preparation was being tested in full, as gales rocked trees, rain poured down in port cities such as Kakinada, and heavy waves crashed ashore.
How Landfall Unfolded
According to the IMD bulletin issued at 7:30 am, the storm was centred over the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts, south of Yanam, at 6:30 am, near latitude 16.4 degrees north and longitude 81.9 degrees east, with winds of 115-125 kmph gusting to 140 kmph. The bulletin said the rear portion of the eyewall was expected to move inland within an hour, completing landfall. Winds over the landfall area were forecast to continue at that intensity for the next two hours before gradually weakening.
The IMD later confirmed that the landfall process was completed by Wednesday morning, with the system moving entirely over land. The cyclone crossed the coast between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam, close to the south of Yanam. It weakened into a severe cyclonic storm around 8:30 am, with wind speeds dropping to 110-120 kmph. The system was expected to move slowly northwards initially, then north-northwestwards over the next 48 hours, gradually weakening into a cyclonic storm and subsequently a deep depression.
The storm crossed the coast as a very severe cyclonic storm, then weakened as it moved fully over land.
Rain, Surge and Damage on the Coast
Heavy rainfall accompanied the storm across the coastal districts. Reported rainfall totals included 217 mm at Visakhapatnam-Waltair, 147 mm at Kalingapatnam, 123 mm at Tuni, 118 mm at Kakinada, 115 mm at Machilipatnam, 94 mm at Gopalpur and 72 mm at Puri. Strong winds were reported along and off the Konaseema and Kakinada coasts and Yanam, and heavy rain triggered waterlogging in several parts of Andhra Pradesh as the cyclone made landfall.
A storm surge of 1 to 1.5 metres above the astronomical tide was forecast to inundate low-lying areas of Andhra Pradesh over the next three hours before subsiding. The cyclone uprooted trees and power poles, causing power outages in several areas. In Visakhapatnam, gale-force winds and downpours brought down trees, obstructing major thoroughfares including Beach Road and Seethammadhara, while electricity lines were severed in parts of Kakinada district.
- Landfall completed between 2 am and 8 am on October 28, between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam, south of Yanam.
- Peak sustained winds of 125-135 kmph, with gusts reaching 150 kmph at landfall.
- Weakened to a severe cyclonic storm around 8:30 am, with winds of 110-120 kmph.
- Rainfall of 217 mm at Visakhapatnam-Waltair and 118 mm at Kakinada.
- Storm surge of 1 to 1.5 metres forecast for low-lying Andhra Pradesh areas.
- Nearly 100,000 people evacuated across Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.
Evacuations and Emergency Response
Authorities ordered thousands to move inland or take shelter ahead of the storm. As many as 50,000 people were told to move to safe areas in Andhra Pradesh, and 48,000 in Odisha, taking the total across the two states to nearly 100,000. In Odisha, more than 30,000 people were evacuated to safety, with heightened preparedness across the southern districts.
Odisha’s southern districts were placed on high alert, with Malkangiri expected to be among the worst-affected areas. Authorities focused on Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri and Nabarangpur, where residents of low-lying and landslide-prone areas were shifted to safer locations. Schools and anganwadi centres in 16 of Odisha’s 30 districts remained closed on Wednesday as a precautionary measure, and the state kept 2,037 cyclone shelters ready, with arrangements for food, drinking water and other essential supplies.
In Andhra Pradesh, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu reviewed the cyclone’s impact and ongoing relief and restoration measures through a teleconference with around 32,000 personnel, ranging from district collectors to field-level staff, on Wednesday morning. He had reviewed the situation until 1:30 am and held another teleconference at 6:30 am to assess the latest developments and the administration’s preparedness.
Wider Impact Beyond the Coast
The storm’s outer bands also triggered continuous rainfall and strong winds in Odisha’s Koraput, Rayagada, Gajapati and Ganjam districts. Administrations in Kalahandi, Kandhamal and Nuapada districts were also on alert. Neighbouring Sri Lanka and Nepal also issued weather warnings ahead of the storm, and Nepal was placed on high alert for October 29 to 31 as the system was expected to bring heavy rain and other impacts after crossing India.
Cyclones are a regular menace in the Bay of Bengal and the northern Indian Ocean, and Arnab’s landfall is a reminder of how quickly a very severe storm can disrupt coastal life even after days of tracking and preparation. The combination of wind, rain and surge, rather than any single factor, is what puts low-lying coastal communities most at risk, and it is why evacuation and shelter arrangements are put in place well before the storm reaches the shore.
What to Watch Next
What to watch next is whether the weakening system follows the forecast track north-northwestwards and fades into a cyclonic storm and then a deep depression over the next 48 hours, whether heavy rain continues in Odisha’s southern districts and in low-lying areas of Andhra Pradesh, and whether power restoration and relief operations reach the areas where trees and power poles were brought down. The other test is how quickly evacuated residents can return home safely, and whether the storm surge subsides as forecast without further inundation of low-lying coastal areas.