Arnab slams Andhra coast with 150 kmph gusts

Very severe Cyclone Arnab crossed the Andhra Pradesh coast near Yanam early on October 28, with gusts to 150 kmph and heavy rain across coastal districts.

Updated: October 28, 2026, 10:15 AM IST

Quick Read:

• Landfall began around 1:30 am on October 28, close to Yanam, between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam.
• The IMD put sustained winds at 125-135 kmph, with gusts reaching 150 kmph during landfall.
• Heavy rain hit Visakhapatnam, Kakinada, Konaseema and nearby districts, and flights from coastal airports were cancelled.

What happened overnight

Very severe Cyclone Arnab began crossing the Andhra Pradesh coast early on Wednesday. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the landfall process started near Narsapur town in West Godavari district at around 1:30 am. The storm’s centre stayed close to the shoreline for hours. The Hindu’s live updates, quoting the IMD, said the northern spiral band of the cyclone had moved further inland, while the landfall process itself was expected to continue for a few more hours. The IMD director general, Mrutunjay Mohapatra, said such a landfall process usually takes around four hours. By 6:30 am, the storm was centred over the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts, south of Yanam, the IMD said in its 7:30 am bulletin, as reported by the Financial Express. The rear part of the eyewall was expected to move inland within an hour after that, completing the landfall.

Also read: Cyclone Arnab, October 27: what was expected

How strong was it

The IMD’s headline figures during landfall were sustained winds of 125-135 kmph, with gusts to 150 kmph. A later bulletin put the winds slightly lower, at 115-125 kmph gusting to 140 kmph, as the storm began to interact with land. Both figures come from IMD bulletins reported on October 28, and the difference shows a storm weakening as it moves inland — not a contradiction in the reporting. A storm surge of 1 to 1.5 metres above the normal tide was forecast for low-lying areas of Andhra Pradesh, with the highest surge expected near Kakinada and Yanam. People in low-lying coastal pockets were the first to be moved. Winds at this speed break branches, bring down weak poles and hoardings, and cut power lines. Reports from Visakhapatnam said trees fell on Beach Road and in Seethammadhara, blocking roads. In Kakinada district, power lines were snapped in several areas.

Rain: the numbers so far

Rainfall reported by the Financial Express live blog included 217 mm at Visakhapatnam-Waltair, 147 mm at Kalingapatnam, 123 mm at Tuni, 118 mm at Kakinada, 115 mm at Machilipatnam, 94 mm at Gopalpur and 72 mm at Puri. Heavy rain and strong winds were reported in Anakapalli, Visakhapatnam, Kakinada and Konaseema districts. Collectors of Visakhapatnam, Kakinada, Konaseema and West Godavari districts all reported heavy rain and strong winds in their areas. In Kakinada, police rescued four people, while three others were reported stranded at warehouses in Kakinada Anchorage Port, the Financial Express reported. Waterlogging was reported in several parts of Andhra Pradesh towns as the rain kept falling.

Also read: Cyclone Arnab: district rain list, helplines, safety

How many people moved

Here the reports differ, and this post does not hide that. AFP, quoted by Malay Mail, said nearly 100,000 people were evacuated in the two states — 50,000 in Andhra Pradesh and 48,000 in Odisha. Reuters-based reports put the combined figure higher, above 180,000. Andhra Pradesh alone moved more than 84,000 people to about 290 cyclone shelters, according to state reports. The honest line is this: tens of thousands of people, at least 98,000 and possibly far more, were moved to shelters before landfall. The exact total will settle once both states release final counts. What is not in doubt is the scale — this was a large evacuation, done before the storm hit, not after. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu said, “Protecting every life is our foremost priority,” as the storm approached, AFP reported.

Flights, and what neighbours felt

Air travel along the coast was hit hard. At least 21 flights were cancelled in Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam, The Hindu reported. Vijayawada airport cancelled all flights on Wednesday as well, after cancelling five on Tuesday. Flights to and from Bhubaneswar, Hyderabad, Varanasi, Prayagraj and Gorakhpur also faced delays or disruption, depending on the storm’s path. Neighbouring states felt the storm too. Sri Lanka closed schools over flash-flood and mudslide risks. Nepal warned of avalanches as the system moves toward the Himalayas. In Tamil Nadu, high waves lashed the shore along the Ennore Expressway and coastal roads in north Chennai and Tiruvallur on Tuesday evening.

What is still unknown

Two things need a fresh check before anyone treats them as fact. First, deaths: early reports from the Andhra Pradesh chief minister’s office said no loss of life had been reported so far, while one local report claimed a 65-year-old man died in Visakhapatnam after touching a snapped live wire. That single claim has no second source yet, so this post does not state it as confirmed. Second, the exact landfall point: the IMD said it was too early to pin down one exact spot, since the centre stayed close to the coast for hours. “South of Yanam, between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam” is the IMD’s description, and that is what this post uses.

Also read: Why this storm is called Arnab

FAQ

Q: When did Cyclone Arnab make landfall?
A: The landfall process began at around 1:30 am on October 28, near Narsapur in West Godavari district, close to Yanam. The process continued for several hours, with the rear eyewall expected to move inland by mid-morning.

Q: How strong were the winds?
A: The IMD put sustained winds at 125-135 kmph with gusts to 150 kmph during landfall, easing to 115-125 kmph gusting to 140 kmph in later bulletins as the storm moved inland.

Q: How many people were evacuated?
A: Reports differ: AFP put the figure at nearly 100,000 across Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, while Reuters-based reports put it above 180,000. Both states moved tens of thousands to shelters before landfall; final official counts are awaited.

Sources: IMD bulletins, October 28, 2026 (via The Hindu live, Financial Express live, AFP via Malay Mail); Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister’s statement (via AFP); The Hindu (flight cancellations, rainfall).

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