Odisha shuts schools, deploys 300+ teams as Cyclone Arnab nears coast

A weather system over the Bay of Bengal, expected to strengthen into Cyclone Arnab, is forecast to make landfall near the north Andhra Pradesh–south Odisha coast around October 28, 2026. Odisha's government has closed schools and colleges in five districts, cancelled leave for all officials, and placed national and state disaster-response forces on standby, according to reports from India TV, OdishaTV and Kalinga TV.

How the storm has developed

Aaj Tak reported that a low-pressure area formed over the east-central and southeast Bay of Bengal on October 23. The India Meteorological Department (IMD), cited by Daily Jagran, said the system was expected to move southwards and intensify into a deep depression, then into a cyclonic storm over the Bay of Bengal by October 26 morning, before strengthening into a severe cyclonic storm by October 27 morning ahead of landfall on the Andhra coast on October 28 in the post-noon hours.

Pragativadi reported that Odisha's government was tracking the system's progression from depression to deep depression and then cyclonic storm by the morning of October 26, with landfall expected on the north Andhra Pradesh–south Odisha coast around October 28. Pragativadi noted that some international models, including ECMWF and Windy, pointed to a landfall further south near Machilipatnam, around October 27–28.

Evacuations, shelters and fishermen's advisories

According to Kalinga TV and Pragativadi, Odisha's Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said the state had made arrangements to evacuate residents using government buses, private buses and boats. Multipurpose cyclone shelters are being stocked with power backups, drinking water and dry rations. Pregnant women with delivery dates within two to three weeks in vulnerable areas are being moved to government hospitals in advance, the two outlets reported.

Fishermen already at sea were told to return by the morning of October 25, and those planning trips were advised to postpone them because of rough sea conditions, per Kalinga TV and Pragativadi. Pragativadi also reported that police patrols have been assigned to evacuated villages to guard against looting.

Schools closed, 302 response teams on standby

India TV and OdishaTV reported that schools, colleges and Anganwadi centres will remain shut on October 28 and 29 in five districts: Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput and Malkangiri. Other districts will decide locally based on conditions, with Pragativadi noting that district collectors have been authorised to declare closures as needed.

India TV and OdishaTV reported that the state has readied a combined 302 emergency teams: 60 Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) teams, 17 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams and 225 fire service teams. OdishaTV quoted Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi saying, "With the blessings of Lord Shri Jagannath, we will achieve zero casualty this time as well."

Wind-speed forecasts vary between reports

Figures on expected wind speed differ across sources published within the same week. India TV and OdishaTV, reporting the Odisha government's own briefings on October 25, cited winds of 80–90 km/h. Daily Jagran, also around October 25, cited an IMD forecast of a severe cyclonic storm with maximum sustained winds of 115–125 km/h gusting to 140 km/h at landfall on October 28. Aaj Tak's October 24 report cited IMD figures of 70–80 km/h winds over the west-central Bay of Bengal with coastal gusts up to 90 km/h, and separately mentioned 50–60 km/h winds with gusts to 70 km/h for some areas. The range reflects a forecast that was still being revised as the system intensified; readers should treat the higher IMD-attributed figures in Daily Jagran as the most recent official estimate.

Background: Odisha's cyclone history and the storm's name

Pragativadi's report placed the current alert in the context of past cyclones that have hit Odisha, including the 1999 Super Cyclone with winds above 260 km/h, Cyclone Phailin in 2013 (200 km/h), Cyclone Titli in 2018, and Cyclone Dana in 2024, which the outlet said caused zero casualties due to proactive administrative preparation.

Daily Jagran reported that the storm's name, Arnab, was contributed by Bangladesh under the regional cyclone-naming system coordinated by the World Meteorological Organization, and means "ocean" in Bengali. Kalinga TV and OdishaTV also used the spelling "Arnab."