
Cyclone Arnab has intensified into a very severe storm in the Bay of Bengal and is moving towards the Andhra coast, 170 km from Visakhapatnam. It is expected to make landfall between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam on the afternoon of 28 October, with wind speeds of up to 140 km/h. The South Central Railway has cancelled several express trains including Godavari, Gautami, Visakha, Falaknuma, Narsapur and Garib Rath. At Vijayawada airport, all IndiGo flights and Air India’s Delhi-Vijayawada and Fly91’s Hyderabad flights have been cancelled for 28 October.

Ranchi district administration has issued an orange alert and declared a holiday for all schools from nursery/KG to Class 12 on 28 and 29 October under the Disaster Management Act, 2005. Private schools with pre-scheduled exams may decide on their own and inform the education department. Teachers must report to school for non-academic work. In Odisha’s Gajapati district, a tree fell on the Gumma-Nuagada road, disrupting traffic, fire and emergency services cleared it. The Odisha government has directed media and digital platforms not to spread false or speculative news. Anganwadi workers have been told to stay in their areas and distribute dry rations to beneficiaries’ homes.
The IMD has warned of heavy rain and winds of 115 to 140 km/h during landfall. Authorities have advised passengers to check their flight and train status before travelling.
Cyclone Arnab’s landfall on 28 October will bring the most intense impact to Andhra Pradesh’s coastal districts, where train and flight cancellations have already disrupted travel. The orange alert and two-day school closure in Ranchi, far inland, show the storm’s reach into Jharkhand through heavy rain. The decision to let private schools decide on exams leaves room for confusion among parents. Odisha’s warning against false news signals an official effort to prevent panic. The distribution of dry rations through anganwadi workers is meant to maintain nutrition support even as cyclone response dominates. The key next step is the landfall itself on the afternoon of 28 October, which will test the preparedness of the states in the storm’s path.
Source: prabhatkhabar.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Methodology and corrections.