NASA has released a satellite image of Cyclone Arnab, offering a nighttime view of the storm over the Bay of Bengal hours before it made landfall along India's eastern coast.
The US space agency shared the image through its NASA Earth account on X on October 29, describing Arnab as the first named storm of the 2026 North Indian Ocean cyclone season. The cyclone made landfall early on October 28, causing widespread damage.
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The image was captured by NOAA-20 at 1:42 a.m. India Standard Time on October 27, corresponding to 20:12 Universal Time on October 26. It was recorded by the satellite's Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS), which can capture nighttime views of the Earth.
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At the time, the cyclone had sustained winds of around 140 kmph (85 mph), according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
Arnab formed over the Bay of Bengal on October 25. Its late-season arrival comes as the region's cyclone activity is influenced by seasonal weather patterns and broader ocean-atmosphere conditions.
Landfall In Andhra Pradesh
Cyclone Arnab crossed the Andhra Pradesh-Yanam coast early on October 28, between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam. By landfall, its sustained wind speed had eased to around 130 kmph.
The IMD classifies storms with sustained winds in this range as very severe cyclonic storms. In terms of wind speed, Arnab's intensity was also within the Category 1 range on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale, although the two classification systems are not directly equivalent.
The affected coastal stretch includes urban areas, agricultural land and fishing communities, leaving residents and livelihoods exposed to the storm's impact.
In its account of the cyclone, NASA said Arnab caused extensive damage after landfall. Reports from the affected region also described uprooted trees, damage to homes and crops, disruption to fishing activities, and interruptions to transport and power networks. Authorities had moved tens of thousands of people from vulnerable coastal areas ahead of the storm.
The El Niño Link
Cyclone Arnab developed during an El Niño phase, a climate pattern marked by warmer-than-usual sea surface temperatures in parts of the equatorial Pacific Ocean. El Niño and its counterpart, La Niña, recur irregularly, typically every few years, and can influence weather patterns around the world.
Changes in ocean temperatures affect atmospheric circulation, with potential consequences for rainfall, winds and tropical cyclone activity. However, the influence varies by region and season.
Research suggests that El Niño conditions can be associated with fewer and weaker tropical cyclones in the Bay of Bengal. This broader relationship does not, by itself, establish that El Niño caused or directly influenced Arnab's formation or intensity.
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