Cyclone Arnab: Andhra Pradesh landfall on October 28, track and warnings (26.10.2026)

Cyclone Arnab heads for India: landfall in Andhra Pradesh expected Wednesday morning

Cyclone Arnab is building over the Bay of Bengal. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) expects it to cross the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coast between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam on the forenoon of Wednesday, October 28, as a very severe cyclonic storm with sustained winds of 115-125 km/h and gusts to 140 km/h.

Marcin FierkaPublished: October 26, 2026

Where the storm is

At 11:30 p.m. IST on Sunday, October 25, the centre lay near 15.3°N, 89.7°E - about 730 km east-southeast of Visakhapatnam, 820 km from Kakinada and 990 km east of Bapatla. It was moving west-northwest at around 15 km/h. IMD’s forecast: cyclonic storm on Monday morning, severe cyclonic storm over the west-central Bay of Bengal on Tuesday, very severe cyclonic storm near the coast on Wednesday morning.

Warnings in force

Andhra Pradesh: red alert for extremely heavy rain on Tuesday in Kakinada, Konaseema, East and West Godavari, Eluru and Yanam. On Wednesday the red alert widens to Visakhapatnam, Anakapalle, Alluri Sitharama Raju, Krishna, Guntur and NTR.
Odisha: schools, colleges and Anganwadi centres in Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput and Malkangiri close on October 28 and 29. IMD warns of more than 20 cm of rain in 24 hours.
At sea: fishermen are told not to venture into the central and west-central Bay of Bengal.

What to expect

IMD warns of damage to thatched and kutcha houses, uprooted trees, broken power and communication lines and flooded crops. Heavy rain should also reach West Bengal, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has ordered control rooms in every coastal district. No casualties had been reported as of Monday morning.

FAQ

When will Cyclone Arnab make landfall in US and UK time?

IMD expects landfall on the forenoon of Wednesday, October 28, India time (UTC+5:30). That is roughly 3:30-6:30 a.m. GMT in the UK and between about 11:30 p.m. Tuesday and 2:30 a.m. Wednesday EDT on the US East Coast. IMD will narrow the timing in later bulletins.

How strong is Cyclone Arnab right now?

In the IMD bulletin for 11:30 p.m. IST on Sunday, October 25, the system was a deep depression about 730 km east-southeast of Visakhapatnam, moving west-northwest at 15 km/h. It is forecast to become a cyclonic storm on Monday, a severe cyclonic storm on Tuesday and a very severe cyclonic storm by Wednesday morning. GDACS has an orange alert with winds estimated up to 120 km/h.

Is it safe to travel to eastern India this week?

The coasts of Andhra Pradesh and southern Odisha face the worst of it from Tuesday to Thursday. Travellers should follow IMD and state government advisories and expect flight, rail and road disruption. Zenitmap shows live clouds and wind, but decisions should rest on official warnings.