📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / VIIRS imagery from NOAA's NOAA-20 satellite
Weather
Cyclone Arnab Nears Gopalpur, Set to Strengthen into Severe Cyclonic Storm by Midnight
✍️ Ommcom News
🗓 26 Oct 2026, 09:16 PM
👁 15
The India Meteorological Department says Cyclone Arnab, currently about 580 km east of Gopalpur in Odisha, will intensify into a severe cyclonic storm by midnight.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an advisory on Cyclone Arnab, noting that the system is now roughly 580 kilometres east of Gopalpur on the Odisha coast. The cyclone is tracking west‑northwest across the Bay of Bengal and is expected to gain strength as it approaches the Indian shoreline.
IMD forecasts that Arnab will upgrade to a Severe Cyclonic Storm by midnight, with sustained wind speeds likely to exceed 90 km/h and gusts reaching higher levels. Heavy rainfall of 100‑150 mm is projected for coastal districts, raising the risk of flash floods and storm surges in low‑lying areas.
State disaster management officials have already activated early warning protocols, urging residents to secure property, avoid coastal travel, and stay tuned to local bulletins. Relief teams are on standby, and shelters are being prepared for any evacuation that may become necessary as the storm intensifies.
IMD forecasts that Arnab will upgrade to a Severe Cyclonic Storm by midnight, with sustained wind speeds likely to exceed 90 km/h and gusts reaching higher levels. Heavy rainfall of 100‑150 mm is projected for coastal districts, raising the risk of flash floods and storm surges in low‑lying areas.
State disaster management officials have already activated early warning protocols, urging residents to secure property, avoid coastal travel, and stay tuned to local bulletins. Relief teams are on standby, and shelters are being prepared for any evacuation that may become necessary as the storm intensifies.