Cyclone tracking: Deep depression nears Andhra - Odisha coast; IMD issues red alert. Is there a holiday tomorrow?
Schools have been shut in at least eight districts of Odisha — Nabarangpur, Malkangiri, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Ganjam, Gajapati, Koraput and Khurda.
A deep depression in the Bay of Bengal is expected to make landfall near the Andhra Pradesh and Odisha coasts within the next 3-4 hours, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The system, currently a deep depression, is anticipated to intensify into a cyclone named Arnab, which means ocean in Bengali. As of today, 23rd September 2026, the depression has been centered near the North Andhra Pradesh coast at latitude 18.1°N and longitude 84.0°E, approximately 30 km south-southwest of Kalingapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, 90 km east-northeast of Visakhapatnam, and 160 km southwest of Gopalpur in Odisha.
The IMD has issued a red alert for several districts in both Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, indicating the potential for intense rainfall over the next two days. In response to the impending cyclone, schools in at least eight districts of Odisha have been closed until September 24, and government employee leave has been cancelled. Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has directed officials to ensure round-the-clock emergency response, set up relief shelters, and maintain adequate supplies.
Nine additional teams of the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) have been deployed, while eight districts in Odisha and several districts in Andhra Pradesh have been placed under a red alert due to expected heavy rainfall.
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