Cyclone Arnab makes landfall on Andhra Pradesh coast
Very severe cyclonic storm Arnab began making landfall on India’s Andhra Pradesh coast early on Wednesday, bringing winds gusting to 150 kilometres per hour and heavy rain to coastal districts.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the landfall process started at about 1:20 am Indian time (00:50 PKT) on 28 October. The storm crossed the coast between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam, close to south of Yanam, and the full landfall process was expected to take around four hours.
Maximum sustained winds in the landfall zone were 125 to 135 kmph, with gusts reaching 150 kmph. The storm’s centre stayed close to the shoreline as it moved slowly north-westwards, and the northern spiral band of the system pushed further inland during the morning.
Nearly 100,000 people evacuated
Authorities moved nearly 100,000 people to safety before the storm arrived. About 50,000 people were evacuated in Andhra Pradesh and 48,000 in neighbouring Odisha, according to officials quoted by AFP.
“Protecting every life is our foremost priority,” Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu said as the storm approached the coast.
In the port city of Kakinada, close to the heart of the storm, police rescued four people, while three others were reported stranded at warehouses in Kakinada Anchorage Port. Heavy rain was reported in Anakapalli, Visakhapatnam, Kakinada and Konaseema districts, with more than 200 mm of rain recorded at some places between Tuesday morning and early Wednesday.
No loss of life had been reported in the early hours of the landfall, the chief minister’s office said, though trees were uprooted in several places and power supply was disrupted.
Storm surge and transport disruption
The IMD warned of a storm surge of 1.5 to 2.5 metres above the normal tide, very likely to flood low-lying areas of Andhra Pradesh over the next six hours. The highest surge was expected near Kakinada and Yanam.
Trees fell and blocked roads in Visakhapatnam, including Beach Road and Seethammadhara, while power lines were snapped in parts of Kakinada district. Air travel along the coast was disrupted, with flights to and from coastal Andhra Pradesh and southern Odisha, including Bhubaneswar, among the most affected. Flights in Hyderabad, Varanasi, Prayagraj and Gorakhpur also faced delays. Around 50 trains were cancelled ahead of the storm.
The weather department said the system would move slowly north-westwards at first, then turn north-north-westwards, with wind speeds easing gradually after the landfall period.
Why this storm matters
Arnab is the first cyclonic storm of the 2026 North Indian Ocean cyclone season, and it strengthened into a very severe cyclonic storm over the west-central Bay of Bengal before reaching land.
The Bay of Bengal has a long record of deadly cyclones on India’s east coast. A super cyclone that struck Odisha in October 1999 killed nearly 10,000 people, and it remains one of the country’s deadliest natural disasters. That history is part of why evacuation orders now come early, even when a storm’s final track is still uncertain.
For readers in Pakistan, the storm is a reminder of how the same monsoon-season weather systems that shape South Asia’s climate can turn dangerous at short notice. Pakistan’s own coastal belt faces its own cyclone risk from the Arabian Sea, and the region’s weather agencies share storm data across borders during the season.
Officials in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha will now count the damage as the storm weakens inland. The early picture is one of heavy rain, strong winds and disruption, but no confirmed deaths in the first hours of landfall.
Where did Cyclone Arnab make landfall?
Between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam on the Andhra Pradesh coast, close to south of Yanam, early on Wednesday, 28 October 2026.
How strong was Cyclone Arnab?
A very severe cyclonic storm, with sustained winds of 125 to 135 kmph and gusts up to 150 kmph, plus a storm surge of 1.5 to 2.5 metres in low-lying coastal areas.
How many people were evacuated?
Nearly 100,000 people in two states: about 50,000 in Andhra Pradesh and 48,000 in Odisha.
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Sources and prior coverage
- Kathmandu Post / Reuters, “Cyclone Arnab begins making landfall in India’s Andhra Pradesh state” (28 October 2026): https://kathmandupost.com/world/2026/10/28/cyclone-arnab-begins-making-landfall-in-india-s-andhra-pradesh-state
- Malay Mail / AFP, “India evacuates 100,000 as Cyclone Arnab makes landfall with 135kph winds” (28 October 2026): https://www.malaymail.com/news/world/2026/10/28/india-evacuates-100000-as-cyclone-arnab-makes-landfall-with-135kph-winds/240856
- Onmanorama / PTI, “Very severe Cyclone Arnab inches along Andhra coast during landfall” (28 October 2026): https://www.onmanorama.com/news/india/2026/10/28/very-severe-cyclone-arnab-andhra-coast-landfall.html
