Authorities stepped up evacuation and disaster management preparations, while flight and train services faced widespread disruption.

At least 65 trains and 21 flights were reported cancelled as the storm approached the coast.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the storm was located around 170 km south-south-east of Visakhapatnam at 11.30 am on Tuesday.

It was forecast to move west-north-westwards before turning north-westwards and crossing the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts near Yanam, between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam, by Wednesday morning.

The very severe cyclonic storm was expected to bring sustained winds of 125–135 kmph, with gusts reaching 150 kmph.

Heavy to extremely heavy rainfall was forecast across several states, including West Bengal, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh, as the system moved inland.

The name Arnab means “sea” or “ocean” in Bengali and was assigned by Bangladesh.

Andhra Pradesh and Odisha have prepared nearly 4,000 cyclone shelters, moved thousands of people from vulnerable areas and placed disaster management teams on standby ahead of the expected landfall.

Andhra Pradesh steps up evacuation efforts

Nearly 50,000 people had been moved to shelters from vulnerable areas in Andhra Pradesh by Monday night, out of an estimated four lakh who could require evacuation, Prakhar Jain, managing director of the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority, told the media.

“Evacuation is continuing,” Jain said.

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu directed officials to evacuate residents from low-lying areas, ensure the availability of relief supplies and prepare for power restoration after the storm.

The state identified 2,131 shelter locations across 20 districts and issued alerts to around 2.70 crore people in 18 districts.

Authorities also secured more than 30,000 fishing boats as part of preparations to minimise the risks posed by strong winds and rough seas.

The state government deployed 1,087 medical teams, arranged 8,281 emergency beds and kept 1,274 ambulances ready.

It also stocked 21,536 doses of anti-snake venom and moved 1,351 pregnant women to hospitals.

Water tankers, generators and reverse osmosis plants were arranged to meet emergency needs.

Essential commodities sufficient for two months were available at 14,686 ration shops, while authorities issued advisories to 35.96 lakh farmers.

Heavy rain was reported in Srikakulam, while Visakhapatnam and Kakinada experienced strong winds.

Waves rose between one and two metres, disrupting traffic along the Uppada–Kakinada stretch.

Authorities placed around 600 km of railway tracks under surveillance as the storm approached.

Schools in 10 districts were also ordered to remain closed from Tuesday to Thursday.

Odisha prepares for mass evacuation

Odisha was preparing to evacuate around 48,000 people from low-lying and landslide-prone areas, although evacuation operations had not begun as of Tuesday, the state's Special Relief Commissioner, Rajesh Prabhakar Patil, said.

The proposed evacuation included around 11,000 people each from Gajapati and Nabarangpur districts.

The state announced the closure of schools and colleges in five districts on Tuesday and Wednesday, while schools in eight districts were also scheduled to remain shut.

Odisha identified 135 permanent cyclone shelters and around 1,600 temporary shelters to accommodate people moved from vulnerable locations.

Authorities mobilised 294 rescue teams, comprising nine National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams, 60 State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams and 225 Fire Services teams.

Ganjam district received the largest deployment, with two NDRF and nine SDRF teams.

The state earmarked Rs 19 crore for relief and preparedness and set a target of zero casualties.

Ports at Paradip, Dhamra and Gopalpur were placed on alert, and fishermen were advised not to venture into the sea.

An orange weather alert forecast rainfall of 12–20 cm in Puri, Gajapati, Ganjam, Rayagada, Koraput and Malkangiri.

Officials were also monitoring the possibility of flash floods caused by rainfall in the upper catchment areas of rivers in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand.

Flight, train services disrupted

Cyclone-related precautions disrupted transport services across parts of eastern and southern India, with railways and airlines cancelling services as the storm approached the coast.

Regional railway authorities reported that at least 12 trains had been cancelled in the east, while services on 53 routes along the southern coast were suspended for Tuesday and Wednesday.

The overall report put the number of cancelled trains at 65.

Television footage showed waves crashing against deserted beaches, while shops remained shuttered in affected coastal areas as residents prepared for the storm.

Air travel was also affected.

At least 21 flights were reported cancelled at Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam airports on Tuesday.

An airport official said five flights were cancelled at Vijayawada on Tuesday, including four operated by IndiGo and one by Air India Express.

The affected services included flights to Chennai, Bengaluru, Visakhapatnam and Kadapa.

For Wednesday, IndiGo cancelled all 12 flights scheduled to operate from Vijayawada airport.

Fly91 also cancelled services, while Air India cancelled its morning flight to Delhi.

The airport official said a total of 15 flights had been cancelled at Vijayawada for Wednesday.

At Visakhapatnam airport, 16 flights were cancelled on Tuesday as the cyclone approached the Andhra Pradesh coast.

Heavy rain alerts across several states

The IMD warned that the cyclonic system could bring heavy rainfall to West Bengal, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh as it moved inland.

In West Bengal, moderate rainfall was forecast in South 24 Parganas, Purba Medinipur, Jhargram, Paschim Medinipur, Howrah and Kolkata.

Heavy rain was likely in South 24 Parganas, Purba and Paschim Medinipur, Jhargram, Purulia, Bankura and Paschim Bardhaman on October 28 and 29.

In north Bengal, Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri were expected to receive heavy rain on October 29 and 30.

Fishermen were warned against venturing into the sea until October 29, with squally winds of 40–50 kmph and gusts reaching 60 kmph expected along the coast.

Jharkhand issued a yellow alert for October 28 in Ranchi, Khunti, Simdega, Gumla, Lohardaga, Saraikela-Kharsawan, and East and West Singhbhum.

An orange alert was also issued through October 30 for Garhwa, Palamu, Latehar, Lohardaga, Gumla, Simdega and West Singhbhum.

Heavy rain was forecast on October 29 in Chatra, Koderma, Hazaribag, Ramgarh, Ranchi, Khunti, Saraikela-Kharsawan and East Singhbhum.

Chhattisgarh prepared for heavy to extremely heavy rainfall on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Authorities were maintaining particular vigilance in the Bastar region, including Bijapur, Sukma, Dantewada, Bastar and Narayanpur.

Uttar Pradesh was also bracing for heavy rain, thunderstorms and strong winds between October 28 and 31 under the influence of Cyclone Arnab.

The IMD issued a yellow alert for October 28 in Sonbhadra, Mirzapur, Chandauli, Varanasi, Bhadohi, Ghazipur and Ballia, where winds were expected to reach 30–40 kmph.

An orange alert was issued for October 29, with heavy rainfall and strong winds forecast in Chitrakoot, Kaushambi, Prayagraj, Fatehpur, Pratapgarh, Raebareli, Amethi and Sultanpur.

On October 30, Bareilly, Pilibhit and Shahjahanpur, along with parts of Purvanchal, Awadh and the Terai region, were expected to experience heavy rain and strong winds.

Nepal, Sri Lanka also on alert

The effects of Cyclone Arnab were also expected to extend beyond India, with neighbouring Nepal and Sri Lanka preparing for severe weather.

Sri Lanka closed schools for several days and warned of torrential rain, flash floods and mudslides.

The country's Disaster Management Centre said the military had been placed on alert.

Nepal's disaster authority warned on Tuesday that the storm could move inland towards the Himalayas, potentially reaching the region overnight on Thursday, October 29.

The system was expected to bring heavy rainfall and increase the risk of heavy snowfall, snowstorms and avalanches.

Authorities advised tourists against travelling to high mountain areas and urged those already there to remain in safe locations.

Nepal was still recovering from a flood on August 26 triggered by a glacial mountain collapse.

The disaster swept away more than 1,400 people and left over 5,000 missing, according to the supplied report.