Cyclonic Storm Arnab has formed over the Bay of Bengal and is expected to intensify into a very severe cyclonic storm before making landfall along the Andhra Pradesh coast on October 28, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in a bulletin. The weather system, which developed from a deep depression, was positioned over the Bay of Bengal at 5.30 am on Monday. It was located approximately 650 km from Visakhapatnam and 610 km from Gopalpur in Odisha.
The IMD has issued a red cyclone alert for Andhra Pradesh and adjoining south Odisha coasts as the storm strengthens. Landfall is expected near Yanam on October 28. Cyclone Arnab is forecast to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm by midnight on October 26 and a very severe cyclonic storm on October 27.
Moving towards the coast, the cyclone is expected to cross the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam by noon on October 28. At landfall, sustained winds could reach 115–125 kmph, with gusts touching 140 kmph. The system is expected to weaken gradually after moving inland, the IMD said.
ALSO READ | Cyclone Arnab: Are Schools Closed Or Open On October 26-27 In Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry?
Andhra Pradesh is likely to experience heavy rain on October 27 and 28, with heavy to very heavy showers at several locations and extremely heavy rainfall in isolated areas.
Meanwhile, Odisha has banned fishing in the sea and has restricted entry of tourists in six districts, PTI reported.
Odisha is also expected to witness intense rainfall on October 28, when heavy downpours are forecast at isolated places. Eastern Telangana and southern Chhattisgarh could receive extremely heavy rainfall on October 28, while northern Chhattisgarh may experience similar conditions on October 29.
The cyclone's impact could extend inland, bringing heavy rainfall to parts of Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal, Vidarbha, eastern Madhya Pradesh and eastern Uttar Pradesh between October 28 and 30.
Coastal districts between Krishna and Anakapalli could experience winds reaching 90–100 kmph, gusts of up to 110 kmph, by the evening of October 27.
ALSO READ | Cyclone Arnab Live Tracker: Landfall Date And Which States Will Be Affected? All You Need To Know
Parts of southern Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Telangana could face wind gusts of 80 kmph on October 28. Coastal areas of south Odisha and north Tamil Nadu could experience windy conditions during the same period.
According to the IMD forecast, Cyclone Arnab will weaken into a cyclonic storm by the evening of October 28 and into a deep depression on October 29, although heavy rainfall and strong winds could persist across several inland regions.
Essential Business Intelligence, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice, Daily Fuel, Gold and Silver Prices and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.