Cyclone Arnab: Andhra, Odisha on red alert ahead of October 28 landfall

Cyclone Arnab, a storm forming over the Bay of Bengal, is expected to cross the Andhra Pradesh coast between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam by the forenoon of Wednesday, October 28, 2026, as a very severe cyclonic storm with winds of up to 140 km per hour, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has put district administrations on high alert and 21 disaster response teams have been deployed, while Odisha has cancelled leave for disaster staff and the IMD has issued red alerts for coastal districts in both states.

A very severe cyclonic storm is one of the stronger categories on the IMD's scale. Storms of that strength can uproot trees, bring down power and telephone lines, damage kutcha houses and flood low-lying villages, and the heavy rain that comes before and after landfall often causes more damage to crops than the wind itself. Coastal Andhra Pradesh, with its densely farmed Godavari and Krishna delta districts, has been hit by such storms before; the most recent was Cyclone Montha, which crossed the same coast at the end of October 2025.

The government response follows a pattern that India's disaster management system has developed over two decades: early warning from the IMD, the advance positioning of NDRF and SDRF teams, a ban on fishing, and the evacuation of people from vulnerable homes before the storm arrives rather than after. Odisha's "zero casualty" target reflects that approach.

For citizens, the most important instructions at this stage are practical. Fishermen have been told not to go to sea; in Odisha the warning runs until October 29. People in coastal and low-lying areas should follow district administration orders on moving to shelters, keep phones charged and keep drinking water, food and essential medicines ready for at least two or three days. Farmers in the red-alert districts may need to protect harvested paddy from rain.

The forecast can still change. The IMD has said the storm's track and strength may vary as it approaches, so the exact landfall point and the districts that face the worst conditions will become clearer in the bulletins of October 26 and 27.

Cyclone Arnab: what each state has been told State | Main alert | Key measures Andhra Pradesh | Red alerts for coastal districts on October 27 and 28 | 21 NDRF and SDRF teams, boats called back, collectors on high alert Odisha | Red alert for five southern districts on October 28 | Leave cancelled for disaster staff, zero-casualty target West Bengal | No direct impact expected | Rain and thunderstorms October 27 to 30

Short-term: Heavy to very heavy rain is likely along coastal Andhra Pradesh and southern Odisha from October 27, with strong winds near the landfall point on October 28. Fishing is suspended, and road, rail and power services in the affected districts may be disrupted.

Long-term: The storm arrives during the kharif harvest, so crop losses in the delta districts are a concern. Damage assessments, compensation and the restoration of power and roads will follow once the storm passes.

Who is affected: Residents of the coastal districts from Bapatla to Visakhapatnam and the Yanam area of Puducherry, people in southern Odisha, fishing communities on both coasts, and farmers with standing or harvested crops in the region.

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