Cyclone Arnab: landfall near Yanam on 28 October; heavy rain for Andhra, Odisha, Bihar and east UP

What the weather office says

At 05:30 IST on 27 October, Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Arnab was over the west-central Bay of Bengal, about 260 km south-east of Visakhapatnam. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a cyclone warning (red message) for Andhra Pradesh and the adjoining south Odisha coast.

The storm is forecast to cross the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coast between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam, close to Yanam, by the forenoon of 28 October. Winds at landfall are forecast at 115–125 km/h, gusting to 140 km/h. IMD expects a storm surge of 1–2 metres above the tide in low-lying areas near the coast, highest near Kakinada and Yanam.

After landfall the storm is forecast to weaken quickly, to a deep depression by the morning of 29 October, as it moves north over Chhattisgarh. Its rain will reach further north.

Where travel is likely to be affected

Coastal Andhra Pradesh, 27–28 October: heavy to extremely heavy rain and gale-force winds from the night of 27 October into 28 October. The districts named by IMD are Anakapalli, Visakhapatnam, Kakinada, East and West Godavari, Konaseema, Krishna and Bapatla. That covers the Visakhapatnam and Araku Valley area and the Godavari region.

South Odisha, 27–28 October: heavy to very heavy rain, extremely heavy in places on 28 October; strong winds in Ganjam, Gajapati, Koraput, Rayagada, Nabarangpur and Malkangiri; rough seas along the coast.

Inland and further north, 28–31 October: Chhattisgarh, heavy to extremely heavy rain on 28–29 October. Jharkhand, heavy rain on 28–29 October. East Uttar Pradesh, extremely heavy rain possible in places on 29 October, including the Varanasi region. Bihar, heavy to very heavy rain in places on 29–30 October, including the Bodh Gaya area. West Bengal coast, heavy rain on 28–29 October. Sikkim and the Darjeeling hills, heavy rain on 29–30 October.

What to do if you are travelling

Flights to Visakhapatnam, Rajahmundry or Vijayawada on 27–28 October: check with your airline before leaving for the airport.

Trains on the east coast line through Andhra Pradesh and south Odisha: check the running status with Indian Railways on the day.

Varanasi, Bodh Gaya, Sikkim or Darjeeling at the end of October: expect heavy rain on 29–31 October. Leave slack in road transfers, and check boat services in Varanasi on the day.

Beaches: stay away from the coast and beaches in Andhra Pradesh and south Odisha until the warnings are lifted, and follow instructions from local authorities.

We have not seen airline or railway cancellation lists yet. We will update this article after landfall.

Sources

This report is based on the following published sources. Rules and schedules change — confirm with the issuing authority before you travel.

• National Bulletin No. 16 (BOB/08/2026): Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Arnab — India Meteorological Department, 27 October 2026