Cyclone Alert / Cyclone Arnab to Cross Odisha by Afternoon, South Odisha on High Alert

Bhubaneswar, Oct 28: The landfall process of Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Arnab is still underway along the Andhra Pradesh-Yanam coast, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) stating that the system may take another hour to complete its crossing over land.

The cyclone is expected to move gradually in a northwesterly direction before turning north-northwestward as it advances inland.

The impact of the cyclone is already being felt across southern Odisha, where continuous rainfall has been reported in Koraput, Rayagada, Gajapati and Ganjam districts.

Also read: Cyclone Arnab Begins Landfall near Andhra Coast, South Odisha Braces for Heavy Rain

Weather officials have indicated that Arnab is likely to pass through parts of Odisha between noon and 1 pm before continuing its journey towards neighbouring Chhattisgarh.

During its passage over Odisha, wind speeds are expected to remain between 60 and 70 kmph, with gusts reaching up to 80 kmph. The IMD has warned that heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely in several southern districts including Malkangiri, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Rayagada, Gajapati and Kalahandi.

Regional Meteorological Centre Director Manorama Mohanty has cautioned that the combination of intense rainfall and strong winds could trigger landslides in vulnerable hilly regions of southern Odisha.

Authorities are closely monitoring the situation and have advised residents in affected districts to remain alert and avoid unnecessary travel.

Earlier, the cyclone made landfall between the Andhra Pradesh coast and Yanam in the west-central Bay of Bengal.

At the time of landfall, the storm was located about 30 km east of Narsapur and 45 km south-southwest of Yanam. It was also positioned nearly 70 km south-southwest of Kakinada and 90 km east-northeast of Machilipatnam.

According to meteorological observations, Arnab packed sustained wind speeds of 115-125 kmph during landfall, with gusts reaching up to 140 kmph. While the storm remains severe, forecasters expect it to gradually weaken after moving farther inland.

However, heavy rainfall, strong winds and the risk of localized flooding and landslides are likely to persist across parts of southern Odisha over the next several hours as the cyclone tracks towards Chhattisgarh.