Cyclonic storm Arnab to make landfall in India

Authorities in the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha are evacuating nearly 100,000 residents as the severe cyclonic storm Arnab approaches the coast. According to the India Meteorological Department, the storm formed over the Bay of Bengal and is expected to make landfall between 02:00 and 04:00 on October 28, 2026. Forecasts predict wind gusts reaching speeds of up to 150 km/h, accompanied by heavy to extremely heavy rainfall across northern and central coastal Andhra Pradesh and southern Odisha.

State officials have identified approximately 570,000 people as vulnerable to the storm's impact. As a precautionary measure, 4,700 pregnant women have been relocated to safer zones, and schools in certain affected areas have been ordered to close. Furthermore, authorities have instructed vessels at sea to return to the shore and have prepared emergency teams for rapid power restoration. Beyond India, weather alerts have been issued in Nepal and Sri Lanka due to the storm's potential trajectory, with officials in Nepal warning of possible snowstorms and avalanches in the Himalayas.