Cyclone Arnab to intensify before landfall on Andhra coast

The Indian Meteorological Department said on Monday that Cyclone Arnab has been moving west-northwestwards across the Eastcentral and adjoining Southeast Bay of Bengal and is on track to reach the Westcentral Bay of Bengal near the Andhra Pradesh coast by the morning of October 28, 2026.

The IMD's Bhubaneshwar unit issued a detailed forecast warning that the system is very likely to intensify further into a very severe cyclonic storm before making landfall. The cyclone is expected to cross the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam as a very severe cyclonic storm, with maximum sustained wind speeds of 115-125 kilometres per hour, gusting to 140 kilometres per hour by forenoon of October 28.

As of 11:00 PM on October 25, the deep depression was centered over the same region, tracking towards the coasts of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. The weather system's continued northwestward movement has prompted authorities to monitor its progression closely and issue necessary advisories to coastal communities in the expected impact zone.

Residents in the predicted landfall area have been advised to take precautionary measures ahead of the cyclone's arrival. The IMD continues to update its forecasts as the system develops, with further bulletins expected as the system approaches the coast.