Cyclone Arnab Kills Three as Landfall Strikes India
No one knew whose house the water would rush into next, or whose home would be submerged,
said Nagi, a resident of Andhra Pradesh’s Kakinada district, capturing the immediate fear as Cyclone Arnab struck India’s eastern coast on Wednesday, October 28, 2026. At least three people were killed, dozens of houses were damaged, and crops were destroyed as the very severe cyclonic storm moved inland from the Bay of Bengal, bringing heavy rain, high winds, and widespread power disruptions, authorities said.
Evacuations and Official Responses Across Andhra Pradesh and Odisha
Authorities evacuated more than 180,000 people from the states of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha ahead of the storm’s arrival. Narendra Singh Bundela, a top official at the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), told reporters that Andhra Pradesh bore the brunt of the weather system, confirming that three people had lost their lives. Two of those deaths resulted from a falling tree and electrocution, according to officials in Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s office. In an update sent to federal Home Minister Amit Shah, Chief Minister Naidu stated that heavy rain and high winds destroyed at least 180 houses, brought down 220 trees, and disrupted power supplies across several districts. Neighbouring Odisha experienced less severe impacts, with Bundela noting that wind speeds were expected to decrease as the cyclone advanced inland.
Infrastructure Disruptions and Nepal Trekking Permit Suspensions
The cyclone forced widespread cancellations of transport and outdoor activities across the region. Operations at three airports in Andhra Pradesh were suspended, India’s civil aviation ministry said, while some schools closed and some train and flight services were cancelled along the eastern coast. In neighbouring Nepal, immigration department information officer Gita Ghimire told Reuters that authorities suspended high-altitude trekking permits for three days due to severe weather risks. Nepal had warned tourists against venturing into mountain areas to avoid torrential downpours, snowstorms, and potential avalanches in the Himalayan region from Thursday night through Saturday, impacting peak trekking season operations where approximately 750 hikers normally secure permits daily.
Regional Vulnerability and Historical Context
Cyclone Arnab formed over the Bay of Bengal, a basin historically prone to destructive tropical systems on India’s eastern coast. Although a massive cyclone struck Odisha in October 1999 resulting in nearly 10,000 fatalities, marking it as one of the nation’s worst natural calamities, India has subsequently instituted preventive measures and early-warning networks to cut down casualties. Regarding the present storm, the India Meteorological Department predicted sustained winds between 125 kph and 135 kph (77.7 mph to 83.9 mph) with gusts reaching up to 150 kph, alongside a storm surge measuring 1 metre to 1.5 metres (3.28 feet to 4.92 feet) above normal tides that is expected to flood low-lying sections of Andhra Pradesh.
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