Cyclone Arnab Slams Andhra Coast With 150 Kmph Gusts, 2.5m Surge Feared

The storm struck the coastline between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam early Wednesday, dragging debris and uprooted trees across Beach Road and Seethammadhara in Visakhapatnam. Power lines snapped in Kakinada as winds screamed through the district. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) confirmed the system is moving northwest at a crawl—just 3 kmph over the last three hours—before it turns north-northwestwards.

This slow movement is dangerous. It means the battering won’t stop quickly. The IMD stated the landfall process will continue for another three hours. Winds of 125 to 135 kmph, with gusts hitting 150 kmph, will persist in the affected zones before gradually weakening. In Anakapalli and Visakhapatnam districts, rainfall already exceeded 200 mm between 8:30 am on October 27 and 3 am on October 28.

The real threat now is the water. A storm surge of 1.5 to 2.5 metres above normal tide is expected to flood low-lying areas of Andhra Pradesh within four to five hours. The highest surge is predicted near Kakinada and Yanam, part of the Union Territory of Puducherry. Residents in these coastal belts have been urged to move to higher ground immediately.

The weather system isn’t done with the East Coast. West Bengal is already facing heavy rain and strong winds. Odisha is on high alert, with the IMD issuing red, orange, and yellow warnings for multiple districts. Gajapati, Ganjam, Rayagada, Koraput, Nawarangpur, and Malkangiri face extremely heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, and winds gusting to 90 kmph. These warnings remain in effect until 8:30 pm on October 29.