Cyclone Arnab lashes India coast, no deaths reported
Why This Matters
Key context: <p>Ferocious winds and torrential rain lashed India’s southeastern coast after a cyclone made landfall on Wednesday, but there were no initial reports of deaths, a top official said.</p> <p><a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/2040202/india-orders-evacuations-as-cyclone-arnab-looms">Cyclone Arnab</a> hit southeastern Andhra Pradesh state as a “very severe cyclonic storm”, with winds of 115-125 kilometres (71-77 miles) per hour and gusts reaching 140 kph, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in an update at 0830 am (0300 GMT).</p> <p>It warned of flash floods along the coast between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam.</p> <p>Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu said there had been no reported deaths from the storm, congratulating government officers who had “worked tirelessly throughout the night”.</p> <figure class='media w-full sm:w-full media-- ' data-original-src='https://i.dawn.com/large/2026/10/2811052371f85d2.webp'> <div class='media__item '><picture><img width='1200' height='720' src='https://i.dawn.com/large/2026/10/2811052371f85d2.webp' alt='Fishing boats are anchored at a harbour in Andhra Pradesh’s Kakinada on October 28, 2026, ahead of cyclone Arnab’s expected landfall. —AFP' /></picture></div> <figcaption class='media__caption '>Fishing boats are anchored at a harbour in Andhra Pradesh’s Kakinada on October 28, 2026, ahead of cyclone Arnab’s expected landfall. —AFP</figcaption> </figure> <p>Naidu “expressed satisfaction that no loss of life occurred due to the proactive measures taken”, his office said in a statement on Wednesday morning.</p> <p>Around 50,000 people were told to move to safer areas in Andhra Pradesh and another 48,000 in neighbouring Odisha state.</p> <p>“Our homes get flooded, and we have to stay in the water,” said Rajeshwari, 65, who gave only one name and had been taken to a government-run shelter near Kakinada.</p> <p>Overnight, gales battered trees and heavy rain lashed the port city of Kakinada, close to the heart of the storm, as powerful waves crashed ashore.</p> <p>But at dawn on Wednesday, residents emerged onto flooded streets to assess what appeared to be limited damage in the city.</p> <figure class='media w-full sm:w-full media-- ' data-original-src='https://i.dawn.com/large/2026/10/28110559d07a4de.webp'> <div class='media__item '><picture><img width='1200' height='720' src='https://i.dawn.com/large/2026/10/28110559d07a4de.webp' alt='A man cycles through a water-logged street in Andhra Pradesh’s Kakinada on October 28, 2026, ahead of cyclone Arnab’s expected landfall.—AFP' /></picture></div> <figcaption class='media__caption '>A man cycles through a water-logged street in Andhra Pradesh’s Kakinada on October 28, 2026, ahead of cyclone Arnab’s expected landfall.—AFP</figcaption> </figure> <h2><a id="safe-indoors" href="#safe-indoors" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1" title="Permalink"></a>‘Safe indoors’</h2> <p>“Thank God, there was not as much damage this time,” said businessman Hussain, 43, who uses one name.“The sea is very rough, several trees have fallen, and sheds and hoardings have been damaged. The government declared a two-day holiday for schools, so people are staying safe indoors.”</p> <p>Sadiq, 40, a Kakinada city resident, told <em>AFP</em> that the situation had become “very dangerous” on Tuesday night, but early warnings from authorities had helped people prepare.“Many people locked their houses and moved to safer places”, he said.</p> <figure class='media w-full sm:w-full media-- ' data-original-src='https://i.dawn.com/large/2026/10/28110712435a0e8.webp'> <div class='media__item '><picture><img width='1200' height='720' src='https://i.dawn.com/large/2026/10/28110712435a0e8.webp' alt='A woman with a child arrives at a relief shelter during rainfall in Andhra Pradesh’s Kakinada on October 27, 2026 ahead of cyclone Arnab’s expected landfall. —AFP' /></picture></div> <figcaption class='media__caption '>A woman with a child arrives at a relief shelter during rainfall in Andhra Pradesh’s Kakinada on October 27, 2026 ahead of cyclone Arnab’s expected landfall. —AFP</figcaption> </figure> <p>Cyclones, called hurricanes in the North Atlantic and typhoons in the Pacific, are a regular menace in the Bay of Bengal and northern Indian Ocean.</p> <p>The storm season, however, has been turbocharged by the<a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/2037050"> El Nino weathe</a>r phenomenon that has contributed to unprecedented warming.</p> <p>Neighbouring Sri Lanka closed schools as its Department of Meteorology warned that storms could trigger flash floods and mudslides. Nepal’s disaster authority warned that the storm would move inland towards the Himalayas, bringing heavy rainfall and “a high risk of heavy snowfall, snowstorms and avalanches”.</p> <p>Nepal is still recovering from a catastrophic August 26 flood triggered by a glacial mountain collapse, which killed more than 1,400 people and left over 5,000 missing.</p> This development from dawn.com highlights ongoing changes in the sector.
Ferocious winds and torrential rain lashed India’s southeastern coast after a cyclone made landfall on Wednesday, but there were no initial reports of deaths, a top official said. Cyclone Arnab hit southeastern Andhra Pradesh state as a “very severe cyclonic storm”, with winds of 115-125 kilometres (71-77 miles) per hour and gusts reaching 140 kph, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in an update at 0830 am (0300 GMT). It warned of flash floods along the coast between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu said there had been no reported deaths from the storm, congratulating government officers who had “worked tirelessly throughout the night”. Fishing boats are anchored at a harbour in Andhra Pradesh’s Kakinada on October 28, 2026, ahead of cyclone Arnab’s expected landfall. —AFP Naidu “expressed satisfaction that no loss of life occurred due to the proactive measures taken”, his office said in a statement on Wednesday morning. Around 50,000 people were told to move to safer areas in Andhra Pradesh and another 48,000 in neighbouring Odisha state. “Our homes get flooded, and we have to stay in the water,” said Rajeshwari, 65, who gave only one name and had been taken to a government-run shelter near Kakinada. Overnight, gales battered trees and heavy rain lashed the port city of Kakinada, close to the heart of the storm, as powerful waves crashed ashore. But at dawn on Wednesday, residents emerged onto flooded streets to assess what appeared to be limited damage in the city. A man cycles through a water-logged street in Andhra Pradesh’s Kakinada on October 28, 2026, ahead of cyclone Arnab’s expected landfall.—AFP ‘Safe indoors’ “Thank God, there was not as much damage this time,” said businessman Hussain, 43, who uses one name.“The sea is very rough, several trees have fallen, and sheds and hoardings have been damaged. The government declared a two-day holiday for schools, so people are staying safe indoors.” Sadiq, 40, a Kakinada city resident, told AFP that the situation had become “very dangerous” on Tuesday night, but early warnings from authorities had helped people prepare.“Many people locked their houses and moved to safer places”, he said. A woman with a child arrives at a relief shelter during rainfall in Andhra Pradesh’s Kakinada on October 27, 2026 ahead of cyclone Arnab’s expected landfall. —AFP Cyclones, called hurricanes in the North Atlantic and typhoons in the Pacific, are a regular menace in the Bay of Bengal and northern Indian Ocean. The storm season, however, has been turbocharged by the El Nino weather phenomenon that has contributed to unprecedented warming. Neighbouring Sri Lanka closed schools as its Department of Meteorology warned that storms could trigger flash floods and mudslides. Nepal’s disaster authority warned that the storm would move inland towards the Himalayas, bringing heavy rainfall and “a high risk of heavy snowfall, snowstorms and avalanches”. Nepal is still recovering from a catastrophic August 26 flood triggered by a glacial mountain collapse, which killed more than 1,400 people and left over 5,000 missing.
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