The first North Indian Ocean cyclone of 2026 crossed the coast between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam, with El Niño conditions steering its track toward Andhra Pradesh.

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• IMD said a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal intensified into Cyclone Arnab and forecast landfall on the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts, between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam.
• Landfall began near Yanam, close to Kakinada, around 28 October with winds of about 135 km per hour and gusts up to 150 km per hour.
• Arnab, the first North Indian Ocean cyclone of 2026, held very severe intensity for about six hours after crossing the coast.
• Over 1.8 lakh people were evacuated ahead of and during the landfall.
• IMD issued a red warning for Andhra Pradesh and cautioned that a storm surge of 1 to 1.5 metres above the astronomical tide could flood low-lying coastal areas.
• Odisha and Andhra Pradesh shut schools and banned sea fishing, and the National Crisis Management Committee reviewed preparedness.
• Andhra Pradesh released ₹27 crore for precautionary and relief measures and mobilised over 2,000 shelters and NDRF teams.
• In El Niño years, Bay of Bengal cyclones tend to form at lower latitudes and head for Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu rather than Odisha and West Bengal, as Hudhud did in 2014.
• The funnel shape and shallow shelf of the Bay of Bengal amplify storm surges.
• IMD classifies severe cyclonic storms at 89 to 117 km per hour, very severe at 118 to 165 and extremely severe at 166 to 220.
• Cyclone naming began in 2004 with eight countries and expanded to 13 in 2018, and the next name on the list is Murasu, contributed by India.