Cyclone Arnab Intensifies Over Bay Of Bengal, Andhra Braces For Wednesday Landfall

A powerful cyclonic storm named Arnab is churning over the west-central Bay of Bengal and is forecast to intensify further before crossing the Andhra Pradesh coast on the morning of Wednesday, October 28. The India Meteorological Department expects landfall along the Andhra Pradesh coast, with winds of around 115 to 125 kmph gusting to roughly 140 kmph.

The system began as a low-pressure area over the east-central Bay of Bengal on October 24 and strengthened steadily, with forecasters flagging the potential for a more severe classification on October 27. Heavy-rainfall alerts have also been issued for Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, while squally winds are expected along the West Bengal coast between October 27 and 29.

State authorities have activated disaster-response arrangements, with evacuations under way in low-lying coastal pockets and fishermen warned against venturing to sea. Officials in Andhra Pradesh and neighbouring Odisha have moved to shut schools and colleges in vulnerable districts around the landfall window.

What happens next

Forecasters expect the strongest winds, storm surge and heaviest rain around and just after landfall on October 28, before the system weakens as it moves inland. The focus now shifts to coastal evacuation, power and communication resilience, and flood management in low-lying areas; residents in the alert zone have been urged to follow official advisories closely.