Amaravati, October 2026 : The very severe cyclonic storm ‘Arnab’ moved closer to the Andhra Pradesh coast on Tuesday, bringing heavy rainfall, gusty winds and high tidal waves to several coastal areas. With the cyclone expected to make landfall on Wednesday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert, while the state administration stepped up preparedness measures to minimise loss of life and property.
According to the latest IMD bulletin, the cyclone was moving west-northwestwards at a speed of 18 kmph over the west-central Bay of Bengal during the preceding six hours. At 2.30 pm IST on October 27, its centre was located around 140 km southeast of Kakinada, 170 km south of Visakhapatnam, 230 km east of Machilipatnam, 300 km east-northeast of Bapatla and 380 km south-southwest of Gopalpur in Odisha.
The weather agency said the storm was likely to continue moving west-northwestwards for the next few hours before turning northwestwards. It is forecast to cross the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam, close to the south of Yanam, as a very severe cyclonic storm by 11.30 am on October 28.
At landfall, the cyclone is expected to generate maximum sustained winds of 125-135 kmph, with gusts reaching 150 kmph, according to the IMD.
Coastal districts experience cyclone impact
Several coastal districts began experiencing the effects of the approaching storm on Tuesday, with heavy rain and strong winds disrupting normal life in some areas.
In Visakhapatnam, trees and electric poles were uprooted at a few locations. A fallen tree damaged several cars in MVP Sector 3, while parts of the Old Gajuwaka area experienced inundation.
The situation was also concerning along the coasts of Konaseema and Kakinada districts, where high waves crashed against the shoreline. In some places, seawater breached sand barriers and flowed onto roads, raising concerns about coastal flooding.
Kakinada district witnessed heavy rainfall, while gusty winds of around 30-60 kmph were reported along the coast. Fishermen were evacuated from vulnerable coastal villages and moved to safer locations as authorities intensified precautionary measures.
Kakinada District Collector Harindhira Prasad and Superintendent of Police Bindu Madhav visited Talarevu to review the situation and assess preparedness on the ground.
Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority Managing Director Prakhar Jain said heavy to very heavy rainfall was likely in East Godavari, West Godavari, Kakinada, Konaseema and Anakapalli districts until Wednesday morning.
He warned that the next 12 hours would be particularly critical and stressed the need for heightened vigilance. Strong winds reaching speeds of 100-140 kmph were possible in vulnerable areas, he said.
Jain urged people living in huts and temporary sheds to move immediately to the nearest rehabilitation centres and follow instructions issued by local authorities.
Chandrababu Naidu reviews preparedness
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu reviewed the cyclone situation through a teleconference with Collectors of all coastal districts and directed officials to take every precaution to protect lives and property.
He instructed district administrations to ensure that people living in low-lying and vulnerable areas were relocated to safer places well before the cyclone made landfall. Rehabilitation camps were directed to maintain adequate supplies of food, drinking water and other essential commodities.
The Chief Minister also ordered officials to ensure the rapid restoration of electricity wherever power supply was disrupted by the storm. He called for the full deployment of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams already positioned for emergency operations.
District Collectors were asked to monitor ground-level developments in real time through control rooms and coordinate with emergency response teams to ensure a swift response to any situation.
With the cyclone approaching the coastline, authorities remained on alert, urging residents to avoid exposed coastal areas, follow official weather advisories and cooperate with evacuation instructions. The immediate priority for the state administration is to ensure timely evacuations, maintain essential services and limit the impact of the storm on vulnerable communities.
(Disclaimer :The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)
