Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Arnab began making landfall near Yanam, close to Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh, early on Wednesday 28 October 2026, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. This is a landfall follow-up to our earlier report on the evacuations ahead of the storm: the danger now is the storm itself, not only its approach.

Winds, surge and rain

The IMD forecast landfall between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam, close to south of Yanam, with maximum sustained winds of 125–135 km/h, gusting to 150 km/h. At 11:30 p.m. on 27 October, the system was about 50 km east-southeast of Narsapur, 70 km south of Kakinada and 200 km south-southwest of Visakhapatnam. A storm surge of 1.5 to 2.5 metres above normal tide was very likely to inundate low-lying areas of Andhra Pradesh over the following six hours, and the IMD issued a red alert for extremely heavy rainfall across Andhra Pradesh, with heavy rain warnings extended to Odisha, Telangana and Jharkhand.

Shelters, hospitals and transport

Andhra Pradesh had identified 2,199 cyclone shelters and shifted 2,360 pregnant women to medical facilities ahead of landfall, according to the Chief Minister's Office. No loss of life had been reported at the time of the Reuters report, though trees were uprooted and power supply disrupted, thousands had been evacuated, and some train and flight services were cancelled — more than 90 rail services cancelled or rescheduled from 27–29 October. Residents in low-lying coastal areas should follow IMD and local authority instructions and avoid travelling until warnings are lifted. Sources: Reuters via Duke FM and LatestLY (ANI/IANS, reporting IMD and the Chief Minister's Office).