Cyclone Arnab threatens Andhra’s municipal polls; SEC hopes to hold them on schedule

As Cyclone Arnab is closing in on the Andhra Pradesh coast and likely to affect the conduct of elections to urban local bodies (ULBs) on November 1, State Election Commissioner Anil Chandra Punetha discussed it with State Disaster Management Authority Managing Director Prakhar Jain to gear up for any contingency.

Mr. Punetha told The Hindu that the cyclone appeared to be severe as per the information provided by Mr. Jain, and the Commission was monitoring the system brewing in the Bay of Bengal, which is predicted to make landfall on October 28.

He expressed confidence that the government would bring the situation to normalcy within two days after the cyclone crossed the coast, thereby facilitating the conduct of ULB polls on schedule.

But if the cyclone proves to be as devastating as it is expected to be, the Commission would then take a decision on conducting the elections, Mr. Punetha said, adding that he was keeping his fingers crossed for now.

Where the cyclone is now?

The deep depression in the Bay of Bengal strengthened into Cyclone Arnab (pronounced “Ornab”) early on Monday (October 26, 2026), the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. At 5.30 a.m. on Monday, it was about 650 km east-southeast of Visakhapatnam, 730 km from Kakinada, 830 km from Machilipatnam and 910 km from Bapatla, moving west at 15 kmph.

The IMD expects the storm to grow stronger by Monday midnight and stronger still on Tuesday. It is likely to cross the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam by the forenoon of Wednesday (October 28), with winds of 115 to 125 kmph gusting to 140 kmph. The IMD has issued a red alert, its highest cyclone warning, for the Andhra Pradesh and south Odisha coasts.