Cyclone Arnab Claims Five Lives, Batters North Andhra with Heavy Rain

Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Arnab caused the deaths of five people in rain-related incidents and unleashed widespread destruction across north Andhra Pradesh. The cyclone brought extremely heavy rainfall and winds gusting up to 150 kmph during the intervening night of October 27 and 28, according to official reports. Over 1,000 trees were uprooted, and agricultural and horticultural crops spanning 80,500 hectares were severely affected.

The storm's impact was evident across multiple districts, with more than 42 weather stations in Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, and Anakapalli recording over 200 mm of rain between 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday and 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, October 28, 2026. Garividi in Vizianagaram district registered the highest rainfall at 260mm, while an additional 271 stations across the state reported at least 100 mm during the same 24-hour period.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu briefed Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the extent of the damages. Mr. Naidu reported that paddy crops across more than 70,000 hectares were inundated, and horticultural crops on 10,500 hectares were also impacted. He announced relief measures, including 25 kg of rice for families whose houses were inundated, and 50 kg for fishermen's families and handloom households. Each affected family will also receive one kg each of red gram, onions, sugar, and potatoes, along with one litre of palm oil.

Cyclone Arnab made landfall near Narsapur in West Godavari district around 2:00 a.m. on Wednesday, October 28, with winds blowing at 125-135 kmph, leaving a trail of destruction. Prakhar Jain, managing director of the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA), confirmed that West Godavari and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema districts bore the brunt of the cyclone. The landfall process continued until 8:00 a.m., after which the system weakened into a Severe Cyclonic Storm. By 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, the India Meteorological Department observed the system centred about 50 km north-northeast of Narsapur, with associated wind speeds of 85-95 kmph. Following landfall, rainfall activity shifted towards the central parts of the state, with Challapalli in Krishna district recording the day’s highest rainfall of 121 mm as of 7:00 p.m.

What to watch: Continued assessment of damages and rollout of announced relief measures.

Editor's note: Accurately captures the extensive details, statistics, and relief measures reported in the source.