Cyclone Arnab to hit Andhra Pradesh coast early on October 28 as very severe cyclonic storm

Flight disruptions are expected across coastal Andhra Pradesh and southern Odisha as Cyclone Arnab approaches the coast. Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada and Rajahmundry airports have suspended flights on October 27. Flights on the Delhi-Bhogapuram-Delhi route have been cancelled for October 28.

Cyclone Arnab is expected to cross the Andhra Pradesh coast as a very severe cyclonic storm between 2 am and 4 am on October 28, with maximum sustained wind speeds of 125-135 kmph and gusts reaching 150 kmph, according to the Meteorological Department. The storm is likely to disrupt flight operations across coastal Andhra Pradesh and southern Odisha.

Visakhapatnam airport suspended operations from the afternoon of October 27, while Vijayawada and Rajahmundry airports suspended all flights after 7 pm on Tuesday. Flights on the Delhi-Bhogapuram-Delhi route have also been cancelled for October 28.

The cyclone is forecast to cross the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam, close to the south of Yanam.

As of 5.30 pm on Tuesday, the storm over the west-central Bay of Bengal had moved west-northwestwards at a speed of 18 kmph over the preceding six hours. It was centred about 90 km southeast of Kakinada, 170 km south-southwest of Visakhapatnam, 170 km east-northeast of Machilipatnam, 240 km east-northeast of Bapatla and 410 km southwest of Gopalpur.

The Meteorological Department said the cyclone was likely to continue moving west-northwestwards for the next few hours before turning northwestwards towards the coast. The storm was already interacting with the land surface, with its outer spiral band having entered land.

The faster movement of the cyclone has brought forward the expected landfall to the early hours of October 28.