Odisha braces for cyclone Arnab as storm nears

On October 26, the Indian state of Odisha anticipates the arrival of cyclone Arnab, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicting the storm to reach cyclonic strength over the west-central Bay of Bengal. Should the storm make landfall in the Andhra Pradesh coast by October 28, the Odisha government is taking no chances - it's implementing a zero casualty target and has assigned specific duties to various departments for effective preparedness.

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi held a review meeting on Saturday to assess the cyclone's potential impact and outline response measures. The system is expected to track a path from northern Andhra Pradesh to southern Odisha, causing heavy rainfall across the region. As of this morning, the low-pressure area over the central and southeast Bay of Bengal had intensified to a depression.

This system is forecast to further strengthen into a cyclonic storm over the west-central Bay of Bengal by October 26, and continue moving towards the Andhra Pradesh coast by October 28.

The Odisha Weather Department has issued warnings for heavy rainfall and rough sea conditions in areas affected by the cyclone. The northeast monsoon has been active in Tamil Nadu, with light rainfall reported across most areas, though heavy rain caused flooding in some parts of the state. As the cyclone moves west-northwestwards, it's expected to bring heavy rainfall and strong winds to Odisha's coastal regions.