Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Arnab makes landfall in Andhra Pradesh, killing several people, inundating farmland and triggering floods as it weakens and moves northward through eastern India.
Cyclone Arnab, the first named storm of the 2026 North Indian Ocean cyclone season, slammed into India’s eastern seaboard on 28 October, packing destructive winds and dumping torrential rain across coastal Andhra Pradesh and neighbouring Odisha. The system, which formed in the Bay of Bengal only days earlier, intensified rapidly before crossing the coast near Narasapuram in West Godavari district and the Yanam enclave, between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam.
The Bay of Bengal is one of the world’s most active cyclone basins. Warm tropical waters routinely fuel storms that threaten densely populated coastal regions of India, Bangladesh and Myanmar. Arnab’s arrival underscores how these systems can still deliver significant disruption even as early-warning systems and mass evacuations have dramatically reduced death tolls compared with the catastrophic storms of previous decades.
Rapid Intensification Over Warm Waters
Arnab began as a low-pressure area over the eastern Bay of Bengal around 24 October. Favourable conditions, including sea surface temperatures around 30°C and moderate wind shear, allowed it to organise quickly. It strengthened into a cyclonic storm, then a severe cyclonic storm, and finally a very severe cyclonic storm within roughly 48 hours.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) recorded peak sustained winds of 125–135 km/h with gusts reaching 150 km/h at landfall. Independent assessments from the Joint Typhoon Warning Center placed one-minute sustained winds higher, equivalent to a Category 4 tropical cyclone on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Meteorologists pointed to unusually warm ocean waters and the possible influence of El Niño conditions as factors that helped fuel the storm’s rapid intensification.
The name “Arnab,” contributed by Bangladesh to the regional naming list maintained by the World Meteorological Organization and ESCAP Panel on Tropical Cyclones, means “sea” or “ocean” in Bengali and is pronounced “Ornab.” The list of 52 names from 13 countries is used sequentially for storms in the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea.
Landfall and Immediate Destruction in Andhra Pradesh
Landfall occurred in the early hours of 28 October. The storm maintained much of its intensity as it crossed the coast, uprooting hundreds of trees, snapping electricity poles and disrupting power supplies across coastal districts. Heavy rainfall was extreme: Visakhapatnam recorded 315 mm by mid-morning, with Vizianagaram, Anakapalli and Srikakulam also seeing more than 250 mm in places.
Northern coastal districts bore the brunt. Officials reported more than 325,000 hectares of agricultural crops inundated, including paddy, maize, pulses, groundnut and horticultural produce such as banana and coconut. At least 180 houses were damaged. Casualties in Andhra Pradesh ranged from three to seven or more in various official tallies, with deaths attributed to falling trees, electrocution from downed power lines, wall collapses and other storm-related incidents.
More than 180,000 people were evacuated from vulnerable low-lying areas in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha in the days before landfall. Tens of thousands were housed in relief camps. Rail services on dozens of routes were cancelled or disrupted by submerged tracks and flooded bridges, while flights at several airports, including Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada, were suspended.
Flooding Spreads to Odisha and Beyond
As Arnab moved inland and weakened first into a severe cyclonic storm and then a deep depression, its rain bands continued to dump heavy precipitation. Southern Odisha faced serious flooding. Authorities reported around 2,000 people stranded in Ganjam and Gajapati districts, with roughly 300 villages cut off. Plans were made to airlift residents from the worst-hit pockets.
The system tracked northward toward Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and parts of West Bengal, Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh, prompting heavy rainfall alerts. Schools were closed in several districts as a precaution. Effects reached as far as Nepal, where authorities urged trekkers to suspend high-altitude activities amid risks of heavy rain, snowfall and avalanches.
Storm surge of 1 to 1.5 metres affected low-lying coastal stretches, with impacts felt as far south as northern Tamil Nadu.
Preparedness and Response
India’s disaster management machinery swung into action early. National Disaster Response Force teams were deployed, fishing boats were ordered back to harbour, and large-scale evacuations took place. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu wrote to the central government seeking assessment of crop and infrastructure damage. Neighbouring Telangana offered support for restoration works.
The relatively low death toll compared with historical cyclones of similar intensity reflects two decades of investment in early warning, cyclone shelters and community preparedness, particularly in Odisha, which still marks the anniversary of the deadly 1999 super cyclone that killed nearly 10,000 people. Zero cyclone deaths has become a stated benchmark for the state.
Broader Climate Context
Arnab’s rapid strengthening has renewed discussion about the role of warmer oceans in cyclone behaviour. Scientists note that rising sea surface temperatures provide more energy for storms, increasing the likelihood of rapid intensification and heavier rainfall. While natural climate variability such as El Niño plays a role, the background warming linked to climate change adds to the heat available to these systems.
For a region home to hundreds of millions of people living along low-lying coasts and dependent on agriculture, the economic and human costs remain substantial even when loss of life is contained. Crop losses on the scale seen in Andhra Pradesh threaten rural livelihoods and food security in the months ahead.
As the remnant circulation continues to weaken and dissipate over inland areas, the focus has shifted to rescue, relief and assessment of damage. Floodwaters in parts of Odisha are expected to recede slowly, prolonging the recovery phase. Authorities continue to monitor residual rainfall and river levels while restoring power and transport links.
Image: Wikipedia
