Business Fortune: Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Arnab Oct 28

Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Arnab Forecast to Hit Andhra Coast on Oct 28

Very severe cyclonic storm Arnab is closing in on Andhra Pradesh. Here is where it is, where it lands and who is on alert.

Very severe cyclonic storm Arnab is forecast to cross the Andhra Pradesh coast on the forenoon of October 28, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) says. It has not reached that strength yet. Tuesday's IMD bulletin, by contrast, put it at severe cyclonic storm strength.

At a glance: Arnab, the first cyclonic storm of 2026 in the North Indian Ocean, formed on October 26. IMD expects landfall between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam with winds of 115–125 kmph, gusting to 140. Odisha's southern districts are under red warning.

Where is Cyclone Arnab right now?

Tuesday's bulletin placed the storm about 350 km from Visakhapatnam, 400 km from Gopalpur and 420 km from Kakinada, tracking west-northwest at roughly 23 km/h. It formed in the early hours of October 26. Bangladesh supplied the name; it means ocean in Bengali.

When and where will Arnab make landfall?

IMD expects the crossing between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam, covering the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts, by the forenoon of October 28. Sustained winds of 115–125 kmph, gusting to 140, are forecast at that point. In its release, the weather office said Arnab was "likely to strengthen further into a very severe cyclonic storm" before crossing.

IMD's very severe band runs from 118 to 167 kmph, so Arnab would land near the bottom of it. An earlier estimate from Odisha's Chief Minister pointed to afternoon landfall, so the exact hour may shift.

Which areas are under warning?

Odisha's Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri, Gajapati and Ganjam districts are under a red warning for October 28, with extremely heavy rain possible. Elsewhere in Odisha, forecasts point to 115.6–204.4 mm in some areas. Coastal Andhra Pradesh faces extremely heavy rainfall on October 27 and 28.

Fishermen are advised to stay off the sea until October 28. President Droupadi Murmu has postponed her October 28–29 visit to Odisha. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has set a zero-casualty target. Earlier this week, IMD Bhubaneswar Director Manorama Mohanty said the seas were "very likely to be very rough."

Could Arnab get stronger or reach north India?

Possibly, though that is speculation for now. Meteorologist Sarat Sahu has cautioned that winds could top 120 kmph. Down To Earth reports that the storm's remnants, if they meet a western disturbance, might drive intense rain across northern India and Nepal. Treat both as possibilities, not confirmed outcomes.

More to Know

Intensity bands. IMD's severe cyclonic storm band is 89–117 km/h, and very severe is 118–167 km/h.

Helplines. An earlier Outlook Traveller advisory listed Andhra Pradesh's State Emergency Operations Centre numbers as 1070, 1800-425-0101 and 83339 05022 and 108 for medical, police and fire emergencies.

Arnab is still offshore and the forecast has held steady since October 26: a very severe landfall on Andhra's northern coast by forenoon on October 28. The rain risk reaches well beyond the landfall point, especially into Southern Odisha. Business Fortune asks readers to follow IMD bulletins and state disaster authority updates for the latest track and avoid forwarded rumours.

FAQs

When will Cyclone Arnab make landfall?

IMD forecasts a crossing by the forenoon of October 28 between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam.
Is Cyclone Arnab a very severe cyclonic storm right now?

No. Tuesday's bulletin described a severe cyclonic storm and the very severe stage is forecast, not confirmed.
Which states will Cyclone Arnab affect?

Andhra Pradesh and Odisha face the heaviest impact. Telangana and Chhattisgarh are on alert for heavy rain.
What does Arnab mean and who named it?

Bangladesh proposed the name, which means ocean in Bengali.
Is Cyclone Arnab the same as the September deep depression?

No. The September system never reached cyclonic-storm strength. This is a separate October system.