Cyclone Arnab Tracker Live: The severe cyclonic storm, Arnab, in the Bay of Bengal, has turned into a very severe cyclonic storm on Monday night and is expected to make landfall off the Andhra coast on Wednesday. The weather conditions in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh have already started to disrupt normal livelihoods, with warnings issued for low-lying areas and fishermen. Flights and trains have been cancelled as a safety measure, while schools have been shut in some Odisha districts.
According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast on Tuesday, Cyclone Arnab moved nearly westwards with a speed of 22 kmph during the past six hours, and is likely to move west-northwestwards till the evening. "Thereafter, it is very likely to move northwestwards and cross Andhra Pradesh & Yanam coasts between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam, with the maximum sustained wind speed of 115-125 kmph gusting to 140 kmph by forenoon of 28th October, 2026," the IMD said.
Image Credit: Reuters
How Cyclone Arnab Got Its Name?
The name "Arnab" was contributed by Bangladesh, which means "ocean" or "sea" in Bengali, according to the IMD's official cyclone naming list. The name is part of the official list of tropical cyclone names adopted in April 2020 by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) Panel on Tropical Cyclones.
However, meteorological experts have reiterated that the cycle's name has nothing to do with its direction, intensity, or the specific country it is expected to hit.
How Are Cyclones Named?
Cyclones are named using pre-made lists managed by regional weather committees around the world. The formal naming protocol for the North Indian Ocean began in September 2004. The Ministry of Earth Sciences detailed that the WMO/ESCAP (United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific) Panel on Tropical Cyclones expanded the operational list to include 13 participating nations in April 202. These include Bangladesh, India, Iran, the Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
Based on IMD's framework, each country submits a name, resulting in the consolidated list of 169 names. The names are arranged column-wise in alphabetical order by the contributing countries. When tropical cyclones develop over the North Indian Ocean, including the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea, they are automatically assigned the next name on this list. This systematic naming of the cyclone avoids confusion when multiple storms occur simultaneously and ensures clear public safety warnings during severe weather.
Odisha and Andhra are on high alert as cyclone Arnab has turned severe (Image Credit: PTI)
How Does Naming Cyclones Help?
As per the WMO, assigning distinctive names to cyclones helps people across the globe identify and track dangerous storms more easily. Using names instead of complex geographical coordinates makes it easier to share information quickly when multiple storms develop over the ocean simultaneously. Media outlets, disaster management teams, and the general public can communicate safety warnings much faster using simpler names of the cyclones. Following the clear and simple naming of cyclones helps save lives and protect property from damage during severe weather conditions.
Latest Update On Cyclone Arnab
Cyclone "Arnab" has intensified into a very severe cyclonic storm over the west-central Bay of Bengal. Moving at a very high speed, it is steadily closing on the eastern coast of India, prompting IMD to issue appropriate alert signs across the states.
Following Cyclone Arnab and its aftermath, IMD has issued a yellow alert across several districts in Andhra Pradesh, including West Godavari, Krishna, NTR, Anakapalli, Eluru, Kakinada, East Godavari, Prakasam, SPSR Nellore, and Srikakulam. In some parts, red alerts have also been issued for the day of the landfall on October 28, 2026.
For Odisha, IMD has issued an orange alert, predicting heavy rainfall in Puri, Malkangiri, Rayagada, Ganjam, Koraput, Rayagarha and Gajapati. Meanwhile, in West Bengal, a yellow alert has been issued in Jhargram, Paschim Medinipur, Purba Medinipur and South Parganas.