Cyclone Arnab Reaches India’s Coast

On October 28, Cyclone Arnab, the first named storm of the 2026 season in the northern Indian Ocean, reached the coast of Andhra Pradesh. Sustained winds at landfall reached 130 km/h. The India Meteorological Department classifies a storm of this strength as a very severe cyclonic storm.

Arnab brought down trees, flooded crops and homes, restricted fishing, and disrupted transport and power grids. Before the cyclone made landfall, authorities evacuated tens of thousands of people from vulnerable coastal areas.

The cyclone formed in the Bay of Bengal on October 25, during El Niño—a climate phenomenon associated with warming waters in parts of the equatorial Pacific Ocean. Some studies link El Niño to a lower frequency and intensity of tropical cyclones in the Bay of Bengal.

Image: NOAA Public domain

Translation editor: Ловушкин А.