Cyclone Arnab Path Update: Deep Depression Makes Landfall Near Kalingapatnam; Red Warning Alert Issued for Multiple Districts

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) confirmed that a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal crossed the coastline near Kalingapatnam, India late last night. Cyclone Arnab news is currently being tracked across all news outlets because it is one of the strongest cyclones that has crossed the Indian coasts in last few years. 

The storm brought strong winds of up to 75 kmph and heavy rain to coastal areas. State officers issued a severe red warning alert across vulnerable districts and are sending rescue teams to low-lying villages. Weather teams are closely watching the Cyclone Arnab path on hourly basis as rain moves toward inland areas.

What is Cyclone Arnab Path and IMD Updates Today? 

Official weather reports show the storm moved across the Bay of Bengal at 5 to 8 kmph before hitting land near Kalingapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. Many feared the tropical storm would turn into a full scale cyclone in India. But scientists clarified that it hit land as a strong deep depression instead. 

The front edge of the storm pushed inland which brought heavy rainfall and strong winds to multiple districtly reportedly across Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. 

Wind speeds of Cyclone Arnab have reached 55 to 65 kmph as of September 24 2026. And temporary gusts are touching 75 kmph along the shore.

The Deep Depression over north coastal Andhra Pradesh, moved northwestwards with a speed of 07 kmph during past 06 hours andlay centred at 0830 hrs IST of today, 24th September 2026 over north coastal Andhra Pradesh & adjoining south Odisha near latitude 18.5°N and longitude 83.5… pic.twitter.com/eiF3jcgLPm

— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) September 24, 2026

List of All Districts Affected by Cyclone and Safety Precautions

Rescue crews moved over 5,000 residents from unsafe homes along the coast to dry relief shelters. 

Local leaders put 11 districts on high alert, shutting down schools, colleges, and daycare centers in the following districts to keep children safe amid this cyclone in India. 

• Koraput

• Malkangiri

• Ganjam

• Khordha

• Rayagada

Fishermen were asked to stay on land because ocean waves remain rough and dangerous. Rescue teams are also watching hilly roads in Gajapati and Koraput, where rocks and mud fell onto roads during the heavy rain.

Red Warning Districts amid Cyclone

• Koraput 

• Malkangiri

• Nabarangpur

• Kalahandi

• Ganjam

• Gajapati

Orange Warning Districts amid Cyclone

• Khordha

• Puri

• Nayagarh

• Kandhamal

• Balangir

How Weather Depressions Differ from Cyclones

The development of storms formed over the Bay of Bengal occurs in a number of stages depending on the winds' speed and the atmospheric pressure. The basic low pressure areas gain enough heat from the warmth of the water to form depressions, and should the winds' speed increase even more, they develop into either deep depressions, cyclones or powerful hurricanes.

However, although the system may remain a deep depression and not a cyclone, the amount of rainfall is huge. Such rainstorms lead to numerous cases of flash flooding, destruction of power lines, and washing out of crop plantations. Due to all these hazards, the local rescue services apply the same emergency response system whatever category the storm belongs to.

Advice for Families in Cyclone Affected Areas

The district officers have directed the families in the rain-ravaged regions to remain indoors until the speed of winds falls and floodwater subsides. The families living in mud houses or valleys must identify the nearest village shelter, prepare clean drinking water, charge mobile phones, and believe information provided by state meteorologists.