October 27, 2026 — Cyclone Arnab, a very severe cyclonic storm and the first of the year to form over the Bay of Bengal, is due to come ashore on India’s east coast on Wednesday morning, October 28. Flights at Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada and Chennai are already being cancelled or diverted, more than 70 trains have been pulled, and tens of thousands of people are being moved out of low-lying areas.
What is happening
- Issued by: the India Meteorological Department (IMD), which has a red alert out for heavy to very heavy rain in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.
- Landfall: expected on the forenoon of Wednesday, October 28, between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam, near Yanam on the Andhra Pradesh coast.
- Strength: bulletins differ. One IMD update on Tuesday gave winds of 150–160 km/h gusting to 180 km/h at sea, with weakening forecast before landfall; landfall forecasts quoted in reports range from about 115–135 km/h, with gusts of 140–150 km/h.
- Storm surge: 1 to 1.5 metres, with East Godavari expected to be worst hit. Kakinada port has its highest danger signal up.
- Areas: coastal Andhra Pradesh (Kakinada, Konaseema, East and West Godavari, Eluru, Visakhapatnam) and southern Odisha (Koraput, Malkangiri, Ganjam, Rayagada, Gajapati). Rain is also forecast for parts of Telangana and Jharkhand.
Flights and trains
| Place | Reported disruption (Oct. 27) |
|---|---|
| Visakhapatnam airport | Four Air India Express flights to and from Hyderabad and Bengaluru cancelled; four IndiGo flights diverted. IndiGo also cancelled flights linking the city with Kolkata, Delhi, Chennai and Hyderabad. |
| Vijayawada (Gannavaram) airport | IndiGo flights to and from Hyderabad, Chennai, Bengaluru and Kadapa cancelled, plus an Air India Express Visakhapatnam service. |
| Chennai | Three IndiGo flights linking Chennai with Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada cancelled. |
| Railways | South Coast Railway has cancelled more than 70 services for October 27–28; South Central Railway cancelled 11, including trains linking Hyderabad/Secunderabad with Visakhapatnam, Kakinada and Narasapur, and Secunderabad–Howrah and Secunderabad–Bhubaneswar services. |
Air India Express has issued a travel advisory for Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada. No airline fee waivers were mentioned in the reports reviewed (TBA).
Evacuations
About 89,000 people along the Kakinada coast are being moved to 101 relief camps, people in 122 low-lying parts of Visakhapatnam have been moved to relief centres, and Odisha is preparing to evacuate about 48,000 people across eight districts.
What it means for airline travelers
- Don’t plan a standby trip into Visakhapatnam or Vijayawada on October 27–29. With flights cancelled and diverted, the few that operate will fill with rebooked passengers, and you could be stuck on the wrong side of the storm.
- If you’re already in coastal Andhra Pradesh or southern Odisha, follow local evacuation orders and IMD bulletins, and keep your phone charged in case of power cuts.
- The road to Visakhapatnam’s airport may be slow; the airport bus between the old and new airport sites is quoted at 75 to 110 minutes. Allow extra time.
- Rail is not a reliable backup this week: check Indian Railways’ cancellation lists before counting on a train.
- US citizens can enroll in STEP and Canadians in Registration of Canadians Abroad to receive emergency messages.
- Check whether your travel insurance covers delays caused by a storm that was already named before you bought it — many policies don’t.
Sources
- The Daily Pioneer — Cyclone Arnab live updates: landfall on October 28 (citing IMD)
- The Week — Flying to Visakhapatnam or Vijayawada? Your Air India, IndiGo flight could be cancelled
- Gujarat Samachar — Cyclone Arnab update: thousands evacuated, 61 trains cancelled, flights diverted
- Yo! Vizag — Cyclone Arnab disrupts flights across Andhra Pradesh
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