Cyclone Arnab Makes Landfall, Triggers Heavy Rain in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha

New Delhi: Cyclone Arnab made landfall along the Andhra Pradesh coast early Wednesday, bringing heavy rainfall and powerful winds. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) confirmed that the landfall process took more than six hours to complete.

The weather agency classified Arnab as a very severe cyclonic storm, the third-highest category on India’s scale. In its 9:50 am bulletin, the IMD reported that the cyclone remained over Andhra Pradesh and Yanam. The storm’s centre lay 20 kilometres east of Narsapur and 40 kilometres south-southwest of Yanam during Wednesday morning. It also remained 60 kilometres south-southwest of Kakinada and 90 kilometres east-northeast of Machilipatnam. The IMD confirmed that the cyclone’s centre had completely moved inland, marking the end of landfall. Arnab crossed the coast with sustained winds reaching 125–135 kilometres per hour and gusts touching 150 kilometres per hour.

Also Read : Bihar MLC Election 2026: Neeraj Singh Leads in Patna, BJP Ahead in Tirhut

Cyclone Arnab Triggers Heavy Rainfall, Disrupts Transport and Highlights India’s Tropical Cyclone Naming System

The storm weakened into a severe cyclonic storm at 8:30 am Wednesday, according to the IMD. Heavy rainfall affected Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, prompting authorities to evacuate more than 180,000 people. Visakhapatnam recorded 315 mm of rainfall, followed by Vizianagaram with 301 mm and Anakapalli with 275 mm. Srikakulam received 257 mm, while Krishna district recorded 223 mm during the same period. In Odisha, Koraput received 188 mm, Ganjam recorded 161 mm, and Gajapati received 135 mm. Airlines cancelled flights to Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada, while power outages, uprooted trees, school closures, and train cancellations disrupted daily life. Officials reported no deaths but warned that heavy rainfall could continue through Wednesday and Thursday.

Bangladesh proposed the name Arnab, which appears on the official cyclone naming list adopted in 2020. The World Meteorological Organization and the United Nations regional commission oversee the naming system for North Indian Ocean cyclones. Arnab is commonly associated with the Bengali word for ocean or sea. Thirteen countries contributed 13 names each, creating a list of 169 names for cyclones across the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea. This naming system helps authorities communicate warnings clearly and avoid confusion when multiple storms develop simultaneously.

Also Read : Indian Developers to Present Projects at Moscow International Game Week