New Delhi: The deep depression over the Bay of Bengal has intensified into Cyclonic Storm Arnab, the India Meteorological Department said in its October 26 bulletin, issuing a Red Message cyclone warning for Andhra Pradesh and adjoining south Odisha coasts.
The storm was centred near latitude 15.4°N and longitude 88.9°E at 5.30 am on October 26, about 650 km east-southeast of Visakhapatnam and 730 km east-southeast of Kakinada. It had moved nearly westwards at 15 kmph over the preceding six hours.
IMD forecast that the system would move west-northwestwards and intensify into a severe cyclonic storm by midnight on October 26, then become a very severe cyclonic storm on October 27.
It is very likely to move northwestwards and cross the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam by the forenoon of October 28, with maximum sustained winds of 115–125 kmph, gusting to 140 kmph.
