Rains lash Odisha as states brace for cyclone Arnab; Landfall expected within 24 hours

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Oct 27, 2026: Very severe cyclonic storm Arnab was moving towards India’s east coast on Tuesday, with landfall expected along the Andhra Pradesh coast within the next 24 hours, while heavy rain and strong winds battered parts of Odisha.

The Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority said the cyclone was likely to cross the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam, bringing heavy rainfall to the state’s northern coastal districts.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the storm moved west-northwestwards at a speed of 25 kmph during the preceding six hours and was centred over the west-central Bay of Bengal at 2.30 am on Tuesday.

The system was expected to continue moving in the same direction until Tuesday evening before turning northwestwards and crossing the coast as a very severe cyclonic storm. Maximum sustained wind speeds could reach 125 kmph, with gusts of up to 140 kmph, the IMD said.

In Odisha, the IMD issued an orange alert for six districts — Puri, Gajapati, Ganjam, Rayagada, Koraput and Malkangiri — forecasting heavy to very heavy rainfall ranging from 12 cm to 20 cm.

Odisha Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said the state was prepared to handle the situation, with personnel and equipment deployed at vulnerable locations. Residents of low-lying areas were being shifted to safer places, he added.

A yellow alert, warning of heavy rainfall ranging from 7 cm to 11 cm, was issued for Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Cuttack, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Kandhamal, Kalahandi, Nabarangpur, Khurda, Nayagarh, Jagatsinghpur, Nuapada, Balangir and Boudh districts.

The IMD also forecast light to moderate rainfall in Kolkata over the next 48 hours.

In the sub-Himalayan region of West Bengal, heavy rainfall was expected in Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri on October 29 and 30, the weather department said.