Very severe cyclonic storm Arnab is barrelling towards the Andhra Pradesh coast and is expected to make landfall close to Yanam on 28 October 2026 (Wednesday), with sustained winds of 130–160 kmph at the time of crossing. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red warning for Andhra Pradesh, and state authorities have placed all 20 districts on high alert as the storm hurtles in from the Bay of Bengal.

Storm Position and Landfall Timeline

According to an official note released at 10 am IST on Tuesday, the very severe cyclonic storm was centred 215 km south-east of Visakhapatnam, moving west-north-west at 22 kmph. Wind speeds near the centre were clocked at up to 157 kmph. Coastal wind speeds stood at 40–50 kmph on Tuesday morning, expected to intensify to 70–80 kmph by afternoon and 100–110 kmph overnight, with the strongest gusts at the moment of landfall.

A storm surge of 1.0 to 2.0 metres is anticipated at landfall, with the highest surge expected near Kakinada and Yanam. Authorities have urged all residents to stay away from the sea, rivers, tanks, and structurally weak buildings, and to rely solely on official alerts from the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) and the IMD.

Evacuation and Shelter Preparedness

The Andhra Pradesh government has activated 2,131 cyclone shelters across 20 districts. Mobile alerts have already reached approximately 2.07 crore subscribers in 18 districts, while swell-surge warnings have been sent to 6.9 lakh coastal subscribers. All 30,043 fishing boats have returned to shore and fishermen have been directed to stay off the sea until 29 October. Ports have hoisted cautionary signals.

Heavy to very heavy rainfall — with extremely heavy spells at isolated places — is forecast across north and central Andhra Pradesh through 28 October. Districts recording the highest five-day average rainfall projections include Srikakulam (257 mm), Krishna (255 mm), Parvathipuram Manyam (227 mm), Visakhapatnam (214 mm), Eluru (203 mm), and Vizianagaram (202 mm). Rivers in the Nagavali and Vamsadhara basins are under close watch.

Disaster Response Deployment

A total of 12 teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and 10 teams of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have been deployed across 14 districts, with one team of each held in reserve. Alongside them, 1,354 police personnel, 128 fire teams, and 92 fire tenders have been deployed on the ground.

Medical preparedness includes 1,087 medical teams, 8,281 emergency beds, 1,274 ambulances, and 21,536 anti-snake vials. Notably, 1,351 pregnant women due by 30 October have already been hospitalised as a precaution. Power restoration crews totalling over 8,400 workers are on standby, supported by 2,613 water tankers, 2,430 generators, and 4,448 RO plants. A total of 14,686 ration shops hold two months of stock, with fuel and LPG reserves secured for generators, communication towers, and ambulances.

Government Oversight and Key Directives

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Home Minister V. Anitha, the Real Time Governance Society (RTGS), and the State Disaster Management Authority are continuously monitoring the cyclone's progress. Home Minister Anitha held a teleconference with Collectors from all districts likely to be affected, directing them to alert coastal village residents in advance and ensure inter-departmental coordination.

Advisories have been issued to 35.96 lakh farmers, with 291 livestock shelters readied. A total of 419 tribal welfare hostels housing 88,083 students are under watch. Road and building teams have positioned 550 JCBs and 596 power saws, while 1,079 minor irrigation tanks are being monitored. As the storm closes in, authorities are expected to issue further advisories through Wednesday morning ahead of landfall.