Weather tomorrow: IMD issues red alerts for 11 Andhra Pradesh districts ahead of Cyclone Arnab landfall; heavy rain warnings for Odisha, Telangana, Chhattisgarh

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has raised red alerts for eleven districts in Andhra Pradesh as Cyclone Arnab moves closer to the coastline. A red alert is the highest level of warning and signals that the region can expect very strong winds, heavy rainfall and a high likelihood of storm surge. The districts under alert include Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, East Godavari, West Godavari, Krishna, Guntur, Prakasam, Nellore, Kurnool and Anantapur, each of which lies along the path projected for the cyclone's landfall. Meteorologists note that Arnab has intensified over the warm waters of the Bay of Bengal, reaching cyclonic storm status with sustained winds near 70 kilometres per hour.

In addition to the red alerts, the IMD has issued heavy rain warnings for the states of Odisha, Telangana and Chhattisgarh, where the outer bands of the cyclone are expected to bring prolonged downpours. These regions are already dealing with saturated soils from the monsoon season, raising concerns about flash floods and landslides, especially in low‑lying river basins and hilly terrain. Local authorities in Odisha have begun pre‑emptive measures such as clearing drainage channels and positioning rescue teams, while districts in Telangana and Chhattisgarh are advising farmers to secure their fields and livestock against sudden inundation.

State governments in the affected areas have activated disaster response protocols, ordering the evacuation of vulnerable coastal communities and setting up temporary shelters equipped with food, water and medical supplies. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) is coordinating with the armed forces to ensure rapid deployment of rescue equipment and to monitor river levels in real time. Residents are urged to stay indoors during the peak of the storm, keep mobile phones charged, follow updates from official channels, and avoid traveling on flooded roads until the situation stabilizes.