Cyclone Arnab makes landfall along Andhra Pradesh with heavy rains and wind

UPDATE - follow-up to Cyclone Arnab landfall continues along Andhra Pradesh coast | LIVE: The landfall process of the very severe cyclonic storm Arnab continued on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, after beginning around 1.30 a.m. near Narsapur town in West Godavari district. The India Meteorological Department stated that the northern spiral band moved further inland, with the process expected to last for three hours. Officials noted that it remains too early to pinpoint the exact final location until the complete process ends, while the Indian Express reported the system was expected to cross between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam.

Impacts And Travel

Severe weather disrupted transit links as airlines cancelled at least 21 flights in Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam. Five departures from Vijayawada heading to Hyderabad, Chennai, Bengaluru, Visakhapatnam, and Kadapa were called off on Tuesday, with all flights from the airport suspended on Wednesday. Across the border in Tamil Nadu, traffic on the Ennore Expressway and other coastal routes in north Chennai and Tiruvallur faced high waves lashing the shore on Tuesday evening. Meanwhile, southern Odisha remained on high alert as the weather system drew closer.

Official Measures

The Civil Aviation Ministry held a review meeting on Tuesday to secure flight operations. In neighbouring Odisha, authorities shifted over 48,000 residents from vulnerable low-lying zones to shelters across eight districts, utilizing 135 cyclone centres and 1,600 temporary camps. Odisha special relief commissioner Rajesh Patil noted that evacuations spanned districts like Nabarangpur, Gajapati, Malkangiri, Ganjam, Koraput, Rayagada, Kalahandi, and Nuapada. Emergency deployment included 244 fire service teams, 60 Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force units, and nine National Disaster Response Force teams.

Context

Tropical cyclones frequently strike India's eastern coastline during the post-monsoon months, bringing destructive winds, intense rainfall, and dangerous storm surges. Government agencies routinely coordinate large-scale evacuations and deploy specialized rescue forces to minimize casualties in low-lying coastal areas.