Severe Cyclone Arnab, formed over the Bay of Bengal, has begun making landfall between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam, near Yanam, around midnight, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The agency said the core of the system was nearing the coast around 4 am, with the landfall process expected to continue for the next three hours.
IMD noted that the cyclone intensified rapidly over the last six hours and moved swiftly towards the Andhra Pradesh coast. While it was earlier expected to cross later in the morning of October 28, the increased speed led to an earlier landfall.
The outer bands have already started affecting land areas. During the landfall window, winds of 115–125 kmph are likely, with gusts reaching 140 kmph, the IMD said.
Heavy to very heavy rainfall has been forecast over coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam on October 27 and 28. Heavy rain is also likely in Odisha on October 28, Chhattisgarh on October 28 and 29, and eastern Uttar Pradesh on October 29.
Disruptions have been reported in transport services due to adverse weather. Air India services between Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada are expected to be affected, and passengers have been advised to check flight status. The South Coast Railway has cancelled 53 trains scheduled for October 27 and 28 as a safety measure, while authorities said relief and monitoring efforts are being intensified and warned against spreading rumours on social media and in the media.
