Cyclone ‘Arnab’ hurtling towards Andhra Pradesh coast

Eastern Power Distribution Company of Andhra Pradesh Limited (APEPDCL) has kept 4,056 personnel ready for restoration work as Cyclone Arnab approaches. File

Several southern Odisha districts started receiving rain as very severe cyclonic storm “Arnab” hurtled towards Andhra Pradesh coast on Tuesday (October 27, 2026) morning.

As per India Meteorological Department, the very severe cyclonic storm “Arnab” over Westcentral Bay of Bengal moved west-northwestwards with a speed of 25 kmph during past six hours, and lay-centered over the same region 300 km southeast of Vishakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), 360 km east-southeast of Kakinada (Andhra Pradesh), 380 km south of Gopalpur (Odisha), 460 km east of Machilipatnam (Andhra Pradesh), 530 km east of Bapatla (Andhra Pradesh) and 920 km west-northwest of Sri Vijaya Puram (Andaman Islands) on October 27, 2026.

It is very likely to continue to move west-northwestwards till evening of October 27 and thereafter, it is very likely to move northwestwards and cross Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam, close to Yanam as a very severe cyclonic storm with the maximum sustained wind speed of 115-125 kmph gusting to 140 kmph by forenoon of October 28, 2026, says IMD.

Heavy to very heavy rainfall has been predicted at a few places with extremely heavy rainfall at one or two places in Gajapati, Ganjam, Rayagada, Koraput, and Malkangiri districts. (EOM)