Cyclone Arnab Fake or Real? Heavy Rain Hits Odisha as IMD Continues Tracking Kalingapatnam Landfall System

Cyclone Arnab update today: A deep depression that developed in the Bay of Bengal made landfall at Kalingapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. The depression is causing heavy rainfall and gale-force winds of up to 70 kmph in coastal regions. 

Internet searches about Cyclone Arnab news lead us to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) notice of a red warning alert for several districts in India on September 24th 2026. 

State authorities have already evacuated around 8,000 residents from vulnerable low-lying areas. 

Some viral social media claims describe this deep depression as a severe cyclone in India. But official meteorological data clarifies the storm's actual status. Read more about the official IMD report on Cyclone Arnab and its current path today hereonwards. 

Fact Check: Why IMD Has Not Officially Named Cyclone Arnab

IMD has not registered this severe storm affecting Odisha and Andhra Pradesh as a cyclone so the official facts about Cyclone Arnab are as follows: 

What is Deep Depression (Cyclone Arnab) Path Today? 

Thousands of readers are still calling this Deep Depression a cyclone and are looking for the Cyclone Arnab path today. But again, meteorologists at the India Meteorological Department confirm that no official cyclone named "Arnab" has formed in the Bay of Bengal.

Instead, the storm system that crossed the Indian coastline near Kalingapatnam was classified as a deep depression. 

For UPSC aspirants and general trivia readers tracking this storm should note that a cyclone only gets an official name once its sustained wind speeds cross 34 knots (63 kmph). Then the weather system becomes a cyclonic storm. 

The name Arnab is submitted by Bangladesh to represent ocean and it remains next in line on the regional cyclone naming grid for future storms.

Which Districts in India are Affected by Heavy Rainfall and High Winds Today?

Although failing to develop into a cyclone, the Deep Depression brought in high-speed wind currents and heavy rainfall in some parts of southern Odisha and northern Andhra Pradesh.

Odisha Districts under IMD Alert Zones

Heavy downpours caused widespread tree falls, landslides, and road cut-offs across the following districts: 

1. Koraput, 
2. Malkangiri, 
3. Gajapati, 
4. Rayagada, and 
5. Ganjam.

Andhra Pradesh Districts under IMD Alert Zones

Coastal communities in Srikakulam and Visakhapatnam experienced urban waterlogging which is prompting local administrations to utilise rainwater storage across reservoirs.

State governments deployed disaster response personnel across coastal zones and are moving vulnerable residents into flood relief shelters as heavy rain continued throughout the morning.

Extremely heavy rainfall🌧️
🔹Sub-Himalayan West Bengal & Sikkim,
🔹Odisha
🔹Chhattisgarh
Very Heavy Rainfall 🌧️
🔹Coastal Andhra Pradesh & Yanam
Heavy Rainfall 🌦️
🔹Gangetic West Bengal
🔹Jharkhand
🔹Bihar
🔹East Uttar Pradesh
🔹East Madhya Pradesh
🔹Vidarbha
🔹Keralam… pic.twitter.com/wSpyojEebu

— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) September 25, 2026

What are Latest Disaster Response Directives and Regional Red Alerts?

IMD declared a red alert in the districts of south Odisha, which led the local administration to send senior state ministers to supervise relief operations in hazardous areas such as Koraput and Gajapati.

"The deep depression brought widespread rainfall over the past three days. State officials have been instructed to monitor water resources and coordinate relief efforts across affected districts." - Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu

Fishing boats operating off the eastern coast have been told to avoid going into the sea until the weather improves. In light of the deep depression making its way inland, there is a concerted effort to unblock the connectivity paths and manage relief centers.