Cyclone Arnab, moving at 13 km/h west‑northwest, is tightening into a very severe storm and is projected to strike the Andhra coast on Oct 28 with gusts up to 140 km/h. The storm, centred near 15.5°N, 87.8°E, lies about 520 km southeast of Gopalpur and 540 km east‑southeast of Visakhapatnam, and the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) warned it could intensify into a very severe cyclonic storm by the following day.
The IMD issued red alerts for 12 districts in Andhra Pradesh, including Kakinada, Visakhapatnam, and Yanam, while five southern Odisha districts—Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput, and Malkangiri—also received red warnings, anticipating isolated extremely heavy rainfall.
Emergency teams have been mobilised: the National Disaster Response Force and State Disaster Response Force set up shelters, while the army, navy, air force, and Coast Guard keep rescue vessels ready. Odisha has deployed 225 fire and emergency response units, boats, and specialised equipment to vulnerable coastal zones.
In Kakinada, officials have begun relocating families from the low‑lying port area to a temporary compound, and fishermen have been advised to stay ashore until the cyclone passes. Residents in alert districts are urged to heed local advisories.
The National Crisis Management Committee will convene on Oct 29 to review damage reports, and the government will issue a post‑storm assessment by Oct 31.