The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red warning for six districts of south Odisha as the remnants of Cyclone Arnab move inland after crossing the Andhra Pradesh coast.
The districts are Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri and Nabarangpur.
What The IMD Says
IMD Bhubaneswar director Manorama Mohanty said the system had finished crossing the coast.
"The cyclone has crossed the coast and is completely over land… Rainfall is very likely to increase, and wind speed is very likely to increase over the state of Odisha, especially over South Odisha," she told ANI.
#WATCH | Bhubaneswar, Odisha: On Cyclone Arnab, Director, IMD Bhubaneswar, Manorama Mohanty says, "The cyclone has crossed the coast and is completely over land... Rainfall is very likely to increase, and wind speed is very likely to increase over the state of Odisha, especially over South Odisha, and in the last 24 hours there was widespread rainfall activity in some places... Forecast for the district of Odisha: a red warning is issued for Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri, and Nabarangpur districts, where heavy to very heavy rainfall is very likely to occur at a few places, with isolated extremely heavy rainfall, and wind speed is also very likely to be 60 to 70 kmph, gusting to 80 or 85 kmph in a few districts... Even some coastal districts of North Odisha are also likely to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall. Fishermen are advised not to venture into the sea up to 29th of October..."
— ANI (@ANI) October 28, 2026
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She said heavy to very heavy rainfall was very likely at a few places in the six districts, with isolated extremely heavy rainfall. "Wind speed is also very likely to be 60 to 70 kmph, gusting to 80 or 85 kmph in a few districts," Mohanty added.
She said some coastal districts of north Odisha could also get heavy to very heavy rain, and fishermen are advised not to venture into the sea up to 29 October.
Rain Already Falling
Gajapati and Ganjam have borne the brunt so far. IMD data show multiple stations in the two districts crossing the very heavy and extremely heavy rainfall thresholds, with Gajapati logging 249.9 mm.
ALSO READ | Cyclonic Storm Arnab Crosses Andhra Pradesh Coast; Flood Alert Sounded In 167 Villages
Intermittent rain has been reported in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Puri, Dhenkanal and Berhampur since Tuesday.
Other Districts On Alert
Beyond the six red-warning districts, the IMD has issued an orange warning for 10 districts and a yellow warning for 14 others. It has also issued an orange warning for Sundargarh, Jharsuguda and Bargarh for 29 October.
The weather system is forecast to move across Odisha towards southern Chhattisgarh.
Risks On The Ground
Strong winds and heavy rain could uproot trees, damage kutcha houses and disrupt power supply. Landslides are a concern in the hilly districts of Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada and Gajapati.
How Arnab Reached Land
Arnab struck Andhra Pradesh as a very severe cyclonic storm. It began making landfall around 2 a.m. on Wednesday and completed the process by 8 am, before weakening.
Odisha's Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said landfall began around 1:30 a.m. near Kakinada.
The IMD had earlier flagged Odisha as a region where the storm's effects would be felt, and rain had already been recorded at Gopalpur, Puri and Bhubaneswar.
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