Cyclone Arnab hits India’s east coast, damaging homes and disrupting transport
Cyclone Arnab made landfall along India’s Andhra Pradesh coast on Wednesday (28 October), bringing powerful winds, heavy rain and flooding. Homes, trees and electricity poles were damaged, while transport disruptions and weather alerts were reported in neighbouring regions.
INDIA: Cyclone Arnab made landfall along India’s Andhra Pradesh coast early Wednesday (28 October 2026), bringing powerful winds and heavy rain that damaged homes, uprooted trees and electricity poles, and disrupted transport across parts of the country’s eastern coast.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the cyclone crossed the coast between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam, near Yanam, with sustained winds of 125km/h to 135km/h and gusts reaching 150km/h.
OnlineKhabar reported that three people had died, 30 houses had been damaged and 714 villages across Andhra Pradesh had been affected.
The cyclone brought flooding to low-lying coastal areas, while rooftops were blown off and trees and electricity poles fell in affected districts.
Paddy crops were also reported to be submerged.
Cyclone weakens after landfall
The cyclone had been classified as a very severe cyclonic storm before making landfall. By Wednesday morning, the IMD said it had weakened into a severe cyclonic storm as it moved inland.
The weather agency expected the system to weaken further into a cyclonic storm and subsequently a deep depression.
Authorities had carried out evacuations in vulnerable areas ahead of the cyclone’s arrival.
Reuters reported that more than 180,000 people had been evacuated across Andhra Pradesh and neighbouring Odisha.
The storm also affected parts of southern Odisha, where heavy rain and strong winds were reported.
Weather alerts and transport disruptions in West Bengal
Although the cyclone made landfall in Andhra Pradesh, its effects also prompted weather warnings and transport disruptions in West Bengal.
According to The Indian Express, the Regional Meteorological Centre in Kolkata extended its yellow alert to several additional districts, warning of heavy rain, thunderstorms and gusty winds.
An orange alert was also issued for the coastal districts of South 24 Parganas, East Midnapore and West Midnapore, with authorities warning of rough seas and strong winds along the coast.
Five IndiGo flights were reported cancelled on Wednesday because of severe weather, while several train services were also cancelled or disrupted.
Fishermen were advised to remain ashore because of very rough sea conditions and poor visibility along the West Bengal and Odisha coasts.
Heavy rain and snowfall forecast in Nepal
The cyclone’s outer cloud bands were also expected to influence weather conditions in Nepal, where forecasters warned of rain and snowfall as the system interacted with an upper-atmosphere weather system.
Meteorologist Binu Maharjan of Nepal’s Department of Hydrology and Meteorology said the effects could begin on Wednesday, with snowfall expected in high Himalayan areas from Thursday night and rain elsewhere.
Moderate rain or snowfall was forecast in Koshi, Madhesh, Bagmati, Gandaki and Lumbini provinces, with heavier precipitation possible in isolated locations.
Maharjan advised people to avoid travelling to high Himalayan areas and urged those already there to move to safer locations.
