Cyclone ‘Arnab’: Flights, trains cancelled as rain batters A.P.; 30,000 boats brought ashore; southern Odisha on edge

The effect of Cyclone Arnab seen at Ennore, north of Chennai with the sea surge from Cyclone Arnab even as it heads to towards North Andhra and Yanam on October 27, 2026

Heavy rain pounded the northern districts of Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday (October 27, 2026), leaving one dead and a trail of destruction, while southern Odisha remained on edge as the ‘very severe cyclonic storm’ Arnab moved closer to the coast.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the storm is likely to make landfall early — around 2 a.m. to 4 a.m. on Wednesday (October 28) – near the Yanam-Kakinada region in Andhra Pradesh. Initially, the IMD had said that the landfall would take place around forenoon on Wednesday.

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According to real-time information from the Directorate of Economics and Statistics (DES), Jathara premises in Visakhapatnam rural mandal recorded Tuesday’s (October 27) highest rainfall of 141.75 mm between 8.30 a.m. and 7 p.m. Visakhapatnam district, where many places experienced rainfall above 100 mm and strong winds, bore the brunt of the cyclone. At least 200 trees were uprooted within the city limits.

A 65-year-old man died at Mangalapalem after he came into contact with live electrical wires that had snapped and fallen into water. The districts of Vizianagaram, Anakapalli, and Srikakulam also recorded widespread rainfall of above 80 mm until 7 p.m. on Tuesday.

As per the latest information from the IMD, the storm over the west-central Bay of Bengal is moving at a speed higher than expected. As of 5.30 p.m., it was located around 90 km southeast of Kakinada, 170 km south of Visakhapatnam, 170 km east of Machilipatnam, 240 km east-northeast of Bapatla, and 380 km south-southwest of Gopalpur in Odisha.

IMD, Amaravati, Director K. Nagaratnam, who is monitoring the cyclone situation along with her team from Vijayawada, said the rainfall activity, which is centred around northern districts in the morning, would shift to the districts of Kakinada, West and East Godavari, and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema by Tuesday night, when the system moves northwestwards towards Yanam.

ALSO WATCH Watch: Cyclone Arnab: What Andhra Pradesh needs to know

Due to the increasing severity of the storm on Tuesday (October 27), airlines cancelled at least 21 flights in Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam. At the Vijayawada airport, five flights bound for Hyderabad, Chennai, Bengaluru, Visakhapatnam, and Kadapa were cancelled on Tuesday (October 27). The authorities have cancelled all flights on Wednesday as well.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said 290 cyclone shelters had been set up and 84,396 people evacuated to safer locations. More than 30,000 fishing boats had been brought back from the sea, while 93 Andhra Pradesh boats and their crew were reported safe at Gopalpur in Odisha.

The State has mobilised 8,400 personnel to respond to electricity disruptions and is prepared for the possible collapse of up to 15,000 power poles. Teams from the National and State Disaster Response Force, the Navy and the Coast Guard had also been alerted.

Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA) Managing Director Prakhar Jain have advised the public to be alert, as extremely heavy rain is expected on Tuesday night in the districts of Kakinada, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema, and Anakapalli. In cases of emergency, one can dial toll-free helplines 1070, 112, or 18004250101.

With cyclone Arnab moving closer to the A.P. coast, thousands of people living in adjoining hilly southern districts of Odisha are bracing for heavy rain and strong gales.

The Odisha government has begun evacuation of over 48,000 people from vulnerable southern districts, sources in the government said. Owing to the prospect of landslips, the government has shut several ghat roads.

The East Coast Railway said 22 express and passenger train services connecting Visakhapatnam, Secunderabad, Kirandul, Jagdalpur, Rourkela, Sambalpur, Rayagada, Howrah, Bhubaneswar and Koraput would remain cancelled or regulated on different dates between October 27 and November 5, 2026. Similarly, private bus operators have also placed restrictions on movement of their buses to southern Odisha.

Manorama Mohanty, Director of IMD, Bhubaneswar, said southern districts such as Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, Gajapati, Koraput, and Rayagada could experience wind speeds between 50 and 60 km per hour gusting to 70 kmph.

Thunderstorms accompanied with lightning and gusty surface wind is likely to occur at one or two places over the districts of Kalahandi, Nabarangpur, Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri, Gajapati, Ganjam on Wednesday, said the IMD.

ALSO WATCH Watch: Cyclone Arnab to hit on Wednesday; shelters ready in AP, Odisha | Above the Fold | Oct 27, 2026

“We plan to shift 48,000 people from vulnerable places to safer place in the first phase in eight districts. In Nabarangpur and Gajapati district, 11,000 each will be evacuated. In Malkangiri, 9,850 people have been identified for shifting. About 6,500 in Ganjam and 5,000 in Koraput will take shelter in identified locations,” said Special Relief Commissioner Rajesh Pravakar Patil.

As many as 48 units of the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force, eight National Disaster Response Force teams, and 225 fire services teams have been deployed.

India / cyclones / Environmental disasters / disaster (general) / natural disasters