Disaster Looms as Thousands Evacuated in India

Thousands of people were evacuated along India’s eastern coast on Tuesday (27 October 2026), and several rail services were cancelled. The measures came a day before a powerful cyclone was expected to make landfall on Wednesday. Cyclone Arnab is forecast to bring strong winds and heavy rain.

India’s Meteorological Department said Cyclone Arnab, which formed over the Bay of Bengal, had intensified since Monday. The storm was expected to make landfall in the coastal state of Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday morning, bringing strong winds and heavy rain to parts of the state and neighbouring Odisha.

“By Monday evening, nearly 50,000 people had been moved to shelters from vulnerable areas, out of an estimated 400,000 people who may need to be evacuated,” said Prakhar Jain, managing director of the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority.

“Evacuation efforts are continuing,” he added.

No evacuations had yet taken place in Odisha. However, the state government announced that schools and colleges in five districts would be closed on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Television footage showed waves crashing against beaches, while shops along roads in affected areas appeared to be shut.

At least 12 train services in the eastern region were cancelled. Rail services on 53 routes along the southern coast were suspended for Tuesday and Wednesday.

The Bay of Bengal is one of the world’s main regions for tropical cyclones, leaving India’s eastern coast highly vulnerable to weather disasters originating at sea.

In neighbouring Nepal, authorities warned tourists against travelling to high-altitude areas. There were concerns that Cyclone Arnab could trigger heavy rain, snowstorms and avalanches in the Himalayan region from Thursday night to Saturday.

The risk comes as the mountainous country is only beginning to recover from deadly flash floods in August that claimed around 1,500 lives.