Cyclone Arnab to cross Andhra Pradesh coast on 28 October: IMD
Why in the news
Cyclone Arnab intensified over the Bay of Bengal on 26 October 2026, and the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast that it would cross the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts on 28 October.
Key facts
- Position: at 5:30 am on 26 October, near 15.4°N, 88.9°E over the east-central and adjoining west-central Bay of Bengal.
- Distances: about 650 km east-southeast of Visakhapatnam and 590 km northwest of Sri Vijaya Puram (Andaman Islands).
- Intensification: expected to become a severe cyclonic storm by midnight of 26 October and a very severe cyclonic storm on 27 October.
- Landfall: between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam by the forenoon of 28 October, with sustained winds of 115-125 km/h gusting to 140 km/h.
- Preparedness: 10 NDRF and 11 SDRF teams on standby; CM N. Chandrababu Naidu ordered officials to remain on high alert; fishermen told not to venture into the sea.
- Name: Arnab was contributed by Bangladesh to the North Indian Ocean list and means “ocean” in Bengali.
| Date | Expected stage |
|---|---|
| 26 October | Cyclonic storm, severe by midnight |
| 27 October | Very severe cyclonic storm |
| 28 October (forenoon) | Landfall between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam |
About cyclone naming
Names for cyclones over the North Indian Ocean come from a list maintained under the WMO/ESCAP Panel on Tropical Cyclones, with names contributed by member countries. A system gets the next name only after it reaches cyclonic storm strength. A September 2026 deep depression that hit the Andhra-Odisha coast did not reach that level, so it was not named.
Exam angle
- Name contributed by Bangladesh; meaning “ocean”.
- Landfall zone: Bapatla to Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh and Yanam).
- Track stages: deep depression, cyclonic storm, severe, then very severe cyclonic storm.