Daijiworld Media Network - Visakhapatnam
Visakhapatnam, Oct 27: The very severe cyclonic storm ‘Arnab’ over the Bay of Bengal moved closer to the Andhra Pradesh coast on Tuesday, bringing heavy rain, gusty winds and high tidal waves to several places as the state administration went on high alert to prevent loss of life and property.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for Andhra Pradesh, warning that the cyclone is likely to cross the coast between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam on Wednesday.
According to the latest IMD bulletin, ‘Arnab’ over the west-central Bay of Bengal moved west-northwestwards at a speed of 18 kmph during the past six hours. At 0900 UTC (1430 IST) on October 27, the storm was centred over the same region, about 140 km southeast of Kakinada, 170 km south of Visakhapatnam, 230 km east of Machilipatnam, 300 km east-northeast of Bapatla and 380 km south-southwest of Gopalpur in Odisha.
The cyclone is very likely to move nearly west-northwestwards over the next few hours before turning northwestwards and crossing the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam, close to the south of Yanam, as a very severe cyclonic storm. It is expected to make landfall by 0600 UTC (1130 IST) on October 28, 2026, with maximum sustained wind speeds of 125-135 kmph and gusts reaching 150 kmph.
Coastal Andhra Pradesh began experiencing the impact of the cyclone, with rain and gusty winds lashing several districts, including Visakhapatnam.
Trees and electric poles were uprooted at a few places in Visakhapatnam. A tree fell at MVP Sector 3, damaging a few cars, while the Old Gajuwaka area was inundated.
Huge waves battered the coastline in Konaseema and Kakinada districts, with seawater breaching the sand barrier and flowing onto roads. Fishermen were evacuated from coastal villages and shifted to safer locations.
Heavy rain lashed Kakinada district, where high waves continued to crash along the coast. Gusty winds with speeds of 30-60 kmph were reported along the coastline.
Kakinada Collector Harindhira Prasad and Superintendent of Police Bindu Madhav reviewed the situation at Talarevu.
Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority Managing Director Prakhar Jain said heavy to very heavy rainfall was likely in East Godavari, West Godavari, Kakinada, Konaseema and Anakapalli districts until Wednesday morning. He said the next 12 hours required utmost vigilance.
Jain warned that strong winds with speeds of 100-140 kmph were possible and advised people living in huts and sheds to immediately move to the nearest rehabilitation centres.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu reviewed the situation during a teleconference with collectors of all coastal districts and directed them to take every precaution to prevent loss of life and property.
He instructed officials to ensure that power supply was restored as quickly as possible in the event of disruptions. The Chief Minister also directed that food, drinking water and other essential supplies be made available at rehabilitation camps, while people living in low-lying areas should be shifted to safer locations.
Naidu ordered the full deployment of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams that had already been prepared for the operation. He also directed district collectors to monitor ground-level conditions in real time through control rooms established in their respective districts.