Cyclone Arnab is expected to cross the Andhra Pradesh coast between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam, close to Yanam, on October 28 afternoon, prompting school closures, a ban on sea fishing and the cancellation of more than 50 trains across coastal Andhra Pradesh. The storm was reported to have maximum sustained wind speeds of 115–125 kmph, with gusts reaching 140 kmph.
The Andhra Pradesh government has placed rescue teams on standby at several locations and stepped up precautionary measures in coastal districts. The measures are intended to minimise loss of life and damage to infrastructure as strong winds and heavy rainfall move across the region.
According to the report, rainfall and strong gales had already begun affecting parts of Kakinada, Konaseema, Anakapalle and Visakhapatnam on Tuesday morning. Sea conditions near Visakhapatnam turned rough, with rainfall expected to intensify from Tuesday afternoon.
The India Meteorological Department said the very severe cyclonic storm was moving westwards at about 22 kmph during the six hours before the report. It was centred around 260 km southeast of Visakhapatnam, 300 km east-southeast of Kakinada, 380 km south of Gopalpur in Odisha and 390 km east of Machilipatnam. The system was expected to move west-northwestwards until Tuesday evening before turning northwestwards towards the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coast.
The IMD issued red warnings for extremely heavy rainfall in Anakapalle, Kakinada, Konaseema, East Godavari, West Godavari, Eluru and Yanam for Tuesday. Orange warnings covered Srikakulam, Parvathipuram Manyam, Vizianagaram, Alluri Sitharama Raju, Visakhapatnam, NTR, Krishna, Guntur and Bapatla, while Palnadu, Prakasam and Nellore were under yellow warnings.
For Wednesday, red warnings were issued for Visakhapatnam, Alluri Sitharama Raju, Anakapalle, Kakinada, Konaseema, East Godavari, West Godavari, Eluru, NTR, Krishna and Guntur districts. Orange warnings covered Srikakulam, Parvathipuram Manyam, Vizianagaram, Bapatla and Yanam, while Palnadu, Prakasam and Nellore remained under yellow warnings.
Educational institutions in coastal districts were closed as a precaution, and fishing operations at sea were prohibited. The restrictions reflect the immediate pressure that severe weather places on coastal administration, transport networks and emergency response systems, particularly in districts exposed to both intense rainfall and high winds.
South Central Railway cancelled more than 50 trains operating between Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada and Kakinada, and other destinations on Tuesday and Wednesday. Passengers were advised to check train-specific cancellation details, confirm their journey dates and verify train status before travelling to stations.
Flight operations could also be affected by the storm, particularly at Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada. However, the report said there were no flight cancellations at Visakhapatnam International Airport, Bhogapuram or the airport identified as ASR International Airport at the time of publication, and operations were continuing normally on Tuesday. Authorities advised residents and travellers to monitor updated warnings and transport information as the cyclone approaches the coast.
