Odisha and Andhra Pradesh have intensified precautionary measures ahead of Cyclone Arnab’s expected landfall on October 28, closing educational institutions, prohibiting sea fishing and deploying disaster response teams to vulnerable areas. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast that the storm will cross the Andhra Pradesh–Yanam coast between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam as a very severe cyclonic storm, with sustained winds of 115–125 kmph and gusts reaching 140 kmph.
The IMD said a deep depression over the east-central and southeast Bay of Bengal had intensified into Cyclonic Storm Arnab. Although the system is expected to make landfall along the Andhra Pradesh–Yanam coast, Odisha is also likely to experience very heavy rainfall and winds gusting up to 80 kmph.
The National Crisis Management Committee has reviewed preparedness measures, with Cabinet Secretary T. V. Somanathan directing authorities to ensure zero loss of life, minimise damage to infrastructure and restore essential services promptly. Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Telangana, Chhattisgarh and Puducherry have been alerted, while eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar have also been warned of potential heavy rainfall.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has deployed teams, with additional units on standby. The Army, Navy, Air Force and Indian Coast Guard have kept rescue personnel, ships and aircraft ready for emergency operations. The Coast Guard has assisted several vessels in returning to shore.
In Odisha, schools, colleges and Anganwadi centres in Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Malkangiri, Koraput and Nabarangpur districts will remain closed on October 28 and 29. Fishing activities have been prohibited, and access to hills, waterfalls and dams in the affected districts has been restricted. Authorities are relocating residents from low-lying areas and vulnerable houses to shelters, while pregnant women are being moved to healthcare facilities. Eight ministers have been assigned to monitor preparedness, and disaster response teams have been positioned in vulnerable locations.
The Odisha government has also cancelled employee leave in the identified districts, established control rooms and advised farmers to harvest and safely store crops that are 80–85 per cent mature.
In Andhra Pradesh, the government has released ₹27 crore to 20 districts for relief and response operations. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has directed officials to issue timely warnings, close beaches, restrict movement along coastal roads and maintain adequate stocks of essential commodities.
Authorities are arranging to relocate 4,711 identified pregnant women from vulnerable areas to healthcare facilities. Fifteen NDRF teams have been stationed at strategic locations across the state, including Kakinada, Konaseema, East and West Godavari, Eluru, Machilipatnam and Anakapalli. Officials are also monitoring reservoirs that could reach full capacity following the forecast rainfall and have been instructed to restore electricity promptly if supplies are disrupted.
The cyclone’s effects are expected to extend beyond Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. The IMD has forecast heavy rainfall in several West Bengal districts from October 28 to 30 and advised fishermen not to venture into the sea. Heavy rainfall is also expected in Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri on October 29 and 30, with a possibility of landslides in Darjeeling.
Authorities across the affected states are coordinating evacuations, emergency deployments and public warnings, with the priority being to protect lives and minimise damage to infrastructure and livelihoods.