Cyclone Arnab is approaching the Andhra Pradesh coast as a very severe cyclonic storm, triggering red alerts for heavy rainfall, widespread evacuations, and emergency response measures across multiple districts.

Cyclone Arnab is approaching the Andhra Pradesh coast as a very severe cyclonic storm, triggering red alerts for heavy rainfall, widespread evacuations, and emergency response measures across multiple districts.

Cyclone Arnab is approaching the Andhra Pradesh coast as a very severe cyclonic storm, triggering red alerts for heavy rainfall, widespread evacuations, and emergency response measures across multiple districts.

The Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority had warned of heavy rainfall across its north coastal districts on Tuesday as Cyclone Arnab is headed to make landfall between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam on October 28.

The IMD issued a red alert for Kakinada, East and West Godavari, and Konaseema as the cyclonic storm approaches.

The cyclone has now been classified as a very severe cyclonic storm. The IMD said that "Very severe cyclonic storm Arnab is expected to cross the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts near Yanam, between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam, by the forenoon of October 28."

The weather system has been moving at a speed of 22 kmph over the past six hours.

The cyclone is 300 km southeast of Visakhapatnam, with the centre 360 km east-southeast of Kakinada and 380 km south of Gopalpur.

It was centred at 5.30 am IST on October 27, 2026, and is likely to move west-northwestwards until the evening before changing direction towards the northwest, The IMD said.

While the storm is expected to cross near Yanam, weather experts think the storm can also change its direction of travel due to the influence of dense clouds around the storm. Some weather models indicate that it may also cross the coast between Nellore and Machilipatnam.

The maximum sustained winds from the storm can gust upto 115-125 kmph and can reach 140 kmph before noon on October 28.

Extremely heavy rains are expected in North Andhra’s Kakinada, Dr B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema, East Godavari, West Godavari and Eluru districts.

Meanwhile, Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Parvathipuram Manyam, Visakhapatnam, Alluri Seetharamaraju, Anakapalle, Polavaram, Krishna, NTR, Guntur and Bapatla districts are expected to face heavy to very heavy rains.

Palnadu, Prakasam, Markapuram, and Nellore districts can face heavy rains

A flash flood alert has been issued in the coastal region in the state.

In Konaseema, where the sea level rose, residents were evacuated to safe zones to prevent loss of life. Fishing families from the Vasalathippa beach in Uppalaguptam mandal have been moved to safer areas. 400 people from Nakkapalli, Visakhapatnam district, have been evacuated to cyclone shelters.

Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority Managing Director Prakhar Jain said that 1,763 cyclone shelters have been identified as the cyclone makes landfall.

About ₹27 crore has been allocated to 20 districts to carry out cyclone relief and response operations. Of this, ₹2 crore each has been allocated to Bapatla, Krishna, Konaseema, East Godavari, West Godavari, Kakinada and Anakapalli districts, according to a statement by the APSDMA.

All educational institutions in the affected regions have been closed for two days. Traffic has also been stopped on the coastal roads as a precaution. In Anakapalle District, schools are closed today also.

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