Bay of Bengal cyclone: Andhra Pradesh and Odisha prepare for landfall as IMD issues alerts

A deep depression over the Bay of Bengal is set to intensify into a very severe cyclonic storm before hitting the Andhra Pradesh coast on 28 October, the India Meteorological Department has warned.

The storm is expected to make landfall between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam by Wednesday forenoon, packing sustained winds of 115 to 125 kmph and gusts up to 140 kmph. In response, central and state agencies have mobilised extensive disaster relief infrastructure across India's eastern seaboard, setting a zero-casualty target and coordinating swift evacuations.

State machinery mobilises for evacuation

Andhra Pradesh has launched a comprehensive evacuation plan across eight coastal districts, including Bapatla, Krishna, Kakinada, and Visakhapatnam. Prakhar Jain, managing director of the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority, said the state has deployed 12 battalions of the State Disaster Response Force alongside seven National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) battalions, with three more requested to bolster operations. Residents in low-lying zones are being transferred to safe shelters ahead of the storm's arrival on Tuesday.

In neighbouring Odisha, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has assigned eight ministers and senior officers to oversee emergency operations directly in vulnerable districts. The state government has placed 60 Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force teams, 17 NDRF teams, and 225 fire services units on high alert.

Schools, colleges, and Anganwadi centres across Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput, and Malkangiri will remain closed on 28 and 29 October. Officials have also cancelled leave for district magistrates and administrative personnel to ensure seamless governance and rapid post-storm recovery.

District deployment and relief setup

To ensure effective on-ground administration, Odisha's cabinet ministers have been stationed across the frontline districts to manage evacuations, medical assistance, and infrastructure protection:

Local collectors have been instructed to relocate expectant mothers, senior citizens, and people with disabilities to community health centres and fortified shelters.

Wider regional impact and advisory

The weather system's reach extends beyond coastal Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. The India Meteorological Department has advised fishermen across the region not to venture into the Bay of Bengal, while port authorities have hoisted Distant Cautionary Signal No-I. Heavy rainfall warnings have been extended to parts of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Gangetic West Bengal.

The storm's moisture field is also projected to influence weather patterns as far as Nepal. The Department of Hydrology and Meteorology in Kathmandu warned that rainfall and Himalayan snowfall will pick up from Thursday night through Saturday, advising farmers to harvest standing paddy crops and urging trekkers to move to safer locations.