Union Home Minister Amit Shah assures full support to Chief Ministers over Cyclone Arnab

UPDATE - follow-up to Rain lashes West Bengal as Cyclone Arnab turns into depression; IMD warns of showers till October 30 | LIVE: Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke with the Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Puducherry, Odisha and Chhattisgarh on Thursday, October 29, 2026, to discuss the situation arising from Cyclone Arnab and assured them of all possible help to reduce public hardships.

Relief Efforts

Mr. Shah stated that teams from the National Disaster Response Force and State Disaster Response Fund are carrying out rescue and relief work on a war footing. Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu directed officials to speed up relief operations, restore electricity, and fast-track compensation for people living in the affected regions.

Weather Update

The India Meteorological Department reported that the system weakened into a depression and lay centred over south Chhattisgarh and adjoining south Odisha, bringing rain and squally winds to parts of West Bengal. The weather office noted that the depression is likely to weaken into a well-marked low pressure by Thursday evening, with heavy rain continuing in West Bengal till Friday, October 30, 2026. Additionally, a fresh low pressure formed over the South Andaman Sea on Thursday morning, which may intensify into a depression over the southwest Bay of Bengal.

Context

Tropical cyclones frequently form in the Bay of Bengal during the post-monsoon season, often bringing destructive winds, heavy downpours, and storm surges to India's eastern coastline. State and national disaster management agencies routinely coordinate rescue deployments and relief operations ahead of and immediately following landfall to minimize loss of life and property.