After ‘Arnab’, Andhra Pradesh may face another severe cyclonic storm

Fishermen repair fishing nets at the Visakhapatnam fishing port while their boats remain anchored after the weather forecast warned of a cyclonic storm over the Bay of Bengal. | Photo credit: V. RAJU

Just days after Cyclone Arnab left havoc in Andhra Pradesh, weather experts are warning that the state may face another severe cyclonic storm next week. The weather system developing over the Andaman Sea is expected to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm by November 2.

A low pressure area formed over the South Andaman Sea on October 29, a day after Cyclone Arnab made landfall along the Kakinada-Narsapur coast on the night of October 27-28.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD), Amaravati, in its bulletin at 3.30 pm on Saturday, said the low pressure area intensified into a well-marked low pressure system over southeast Bay of Bengal and adjoining areas of Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Andaman Sea around 5.30 am.

The system moved to the west-northwest and focused into a depression at 11:30 a.m. At 5:30 p.m., it was centered over the southeastern Bay of Bengal, about 960 km east-southeast of Chennai, 980 km southeast of Vishakhapatnam and 1,030 km southeast of Machilipatnam 1,080 and km to the southeast.

Another IMD bulletin issued at 7:30 pm said the weather system may move west-northwest and intensify into a deep depression over southeast Bay of Bengal by midnight, a cyclonic storm over southwest and central-west Bay of Bengal on Sunday and further into a severe cyclonic storm by November 2.

This time, it is expected to make landfall in the morning hours of November 3 between Narsapur and Nellore along the Andhra Pradesh coast with a maximum wind speed of 120 kmph. Central Andhra Pradesh is likely to be affected, the bulletin said.

According to Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA), scattered moderate to heavy rainfall is expected in Krishna, Guntur, Bapatla, Prakasam, Markapuram and Nellore districts and scattered heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected in Eluru, West Godavari, NTR, Krishna, Guntur, Nelloreka Markapuram, Tirajrunadu on November 1. circuits on November 2.

Sea conditions are likely to remain rough from 1 November and worsen on 2 November. Gusty winds of 40 kmph to 50 kmph with gusts up to 60 kmph are likely to be along and off the coast of Andhra Pradesh, North Tamil Nadu and Puducherry from November 1 and gradually intensify on November 2.

Anglers were advised to stay offshore from November 2nd to 4th.

Published – 31 Oct 2026 23:04 IST