Cyclone Alert / Cyclone Arnab Begins Landfall near Andhra Coast, South Odisha Braces for Heavy Rain
Key Points
Very Severe Cyclone Arnab has made landfall along the Andhra coast, bringing intense winds and torrential rain. South Odisha remains on alert as the cyclone weakens gradually after crossing land.
Bhubaneswar, Oct 28: Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Arnab has begun its landfall process along the Andhra Pradesh-Yanam coast, bringing strong winds and widespread heavy rainfall to several parts of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the cyclone crossed the coast between Andhra Pradesh and Yanam, about 30 km east of Narsapur and 45 km south-southwest of Yanam.
The storm was also located around 70 km south-southwest of Kakinada and 90 km east-northeast of Machilipatnam during the landfall process. Wind speeds at the time of landfall were estimated at 115-125 kmph, with gusts reaching up to 140 kmph.
Also read: Cyclone Arnab’s Landfall to Take Two More Hours, Says IMD Chief; South Odisha Braces for Heavy Rain
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✨Meteorologists said the cyclone is moving slowly towards the northwest before gradually turning north-northwestward. The landfall process remains underway and is expected to take a few more hours to complete.
Officials attributed the delay in landfall to a change in the storm's movement and its relatively stationary behaviour over the past several hours.
The cyclone has already triggered extremely heavy rainfall across parts of Andhra Pradesh, with some locations recording more than 25 cm of rain. Its impact is also being felt across Odisha, particularly in the southern districts where persistent rainfall continues.
Gajapati, Ganjam, Rayagada, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur and Koraput districts are expected to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall accompanied by strong winds. As the system moves across Odisha, wind speeds of 60-70 kmph are likely, with gusts reaching up to 80 kmph.
Meanwhile, the IMD has indicated that Cyclone Arnav is likely to weaken gradually after completing landfall. The system is expected to lose intensity over land and may further weaken into a depression by the evening of October 28.