Sonali Tiwary
Eastern India woke on October 28 to blocked roads, flooded farms, and cancelled travel across eight cities after Cyclone Arnab completed landfall along the Andhra Pradesh coast during the early hours. For rail and air passengers connecting through the region—or family members overseas tracking the storm—here is what the latest India Meteorological Department bulletins confirm and what you can do about disrupted bookings right now.
The India Meteorological Department confirmed Cyclone Arnab made landfall between 2:00 AM and 8:00 AM IST on October 28, crossing the coast southwest of Yanam with sustained winds of 125–135 km/h and gusts reaching 150 km/h. Three people died in Andhra Pradesh. More than 30,000 people were evacuated in Odisha. More than 100 trains along the East Coast Railway corridor were cancelled, along with flights at Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Rajahmundry, and Bhubaneswar airports. International travellers connecting through Hyderabad, Varanasi, Prayagraj, and Gorakhpur may face knock-on delays.
If you are flying through Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Rajahmundry, or Bhubaneswar—or connecting via Hyderabad, Varanasi, Prayagraj, or Gorakhpur—check your airline’s live status before leaving for the airport. Airlines operating the affected routes have been directed to provide fee-free rebooking or full refunds for Arnab-related cancellations. For coastal farmers in Srikakulam and southern Odisha, document submerged paddy fields with geo-tagged photos immediately once waters recede to qualify for state disaster crop-loss relief.
Inland Path and Agricultural Impact
Arnab is expected to weaken progressively as it tracks inland over Odisha and Chhattisgarh. Flash flood alerts remain active across five Odisha districts: Malkangiri, Koraput, Gajapati, Ganjam, and Nabarangpur. In Srikakulam district along the north Andhra coast, standing kharif paddy crops were at the critical October harvest stage when the storm arrived—and up to 257 millimetres of rain turned those fields into shallow inland lakes. Authorities confirmed more than 30,000 evacuations in Odisha, with additional NDRF teams deployed to the region. Farmers in the affected districts can cross-reference Indian kharif crop insurance claim guides and monitor updates through the IMD extreme weather warning classifications system. Diaspora and overseas visitors can track disruptions via the Bay of Bengal cyclone intensification trends tracker.
IMD data shows the 150 km/h wind gusts drew the most attention, but coastal districts also absorbed sustained rainfall exceeding 250 millimetres over the landfall period—turning harvest-ready paddy fields into inland lakes during the critical October harvest window.
*Which flights and trains are cancelled due to Cyclone Arnab?* More than 100 trains along the East Coast Railway corridor and multiple flights at Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Rajahmundry, and Bhubaneswar airports are cancelled or delayed on October 28. Airlines have also advised of potential knock-on flight delays at Hyderabad, Varanasi, Prayagraj, and Gorakhpur.
Arnab is forecast to weaken progressively as it tracks inland over Odisha and Chhattisgarh. The East Coast Railway will issue a full service restoration announcement separately. For emergencies across Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, contact state disaster management helplines.
