Cyclone Arnab: IndiGo Cancels Every Vijayawada Flight for Wednesday as Ghat Roads and Trains Shut Ahead of Landfall

Anyone planning to fly, take a train or drive through coastal Andhra Pradesh and southern Odisha over the next two days should assume their plans are at risk. Cyclone Arnab, a very severe cyclonic storm and the first to form over the Bay of Bengal this year, is expected to cross the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coast between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam, close to the south of Yanam, by about 11:30 am on Wednesday, October 28. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) expects sustained winds of 125 to 135 kmph at landfall, gusting to 150 kmph.

At 2:30 pm on Tuesday the storm was centred about 140 km southeast of Kakinada and 170 km south of Visakhapatnam, moving west-northwest. Through the evening, airlines, the railways and district officials issued a fresh round of cancellations and closures.

Flights: Vijayawada goes quiet on Wednesday

Airport officials said on Tuesday evening that about 21 flights from Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam had been cancelled. The sharpest cut is at Vijayawada for Wednesday: IndiGo has scrapped all 12 of its flights there, Fly91 has cancelled its services, and Air India has dropped its morning flight to Delhi. In all, 15 Vijayawada flights are off for Wednesday, on top of five cancelled on Tuesday, including services to Chennai, Bengaluru, Visakhapatnam and Kadapa.

Visakhapatnam's airport saw 16 cancellations on Tuesday, and several IndiGo flights were diverted earlier in the day. Air India and IndiGo have both issued travel advisories for the two cities. If you are booked to fly on Wednesday or Thursday, check the airline app before leaving home rather than relying on the airport display boards.

Trains: some routes are off until November 5

Rail disruption will last longer than the storm itself. South Coast Railway's cancellations linked to Arnab have passed 70 services. Separately, 22 express and passenger trains have been cancelled or regulated on various dates between October 27 and November 5. They include the Visakhapatnam–Kirandul Express, cancelled from October 29 to November 4, and the Howrah–Jagdalpur Samaleswari Express, off from October 27 to 30. Several Secunderabad, Bhubaneswar, Howrah and Pune connections are also hit on specific days.

The longer cancellations on the hill line to Kirandul and Jagdalpur show that the railways expect landslide risk inland after the storm makes landfall. Passengers should check the National Train Enquiry System or the Indian Railways website for train-wise status.

Roads: two Odisha ghat sections closed till October 29

Road travel through southern Odisha's hills is also restricted. Officials have closed the Kalinga Ghat and Daringbadi–Gajalabadi ghat roads, sections of National Highway 59 linking Ganjam and Kandhamal districts, until October 29 because of landslide risk from continuous rain. Barricades have gone up at both ends. Ganjam and Gajapati are under a red alert for extremely heavy rain.

The weather will spread well beyond the coast. Chhattisgarh has issued a red alert for Bastar division districts, including Bastar, Kondagaon, Sukma and Dantewada, for October 28, with an orange alert for Raipur and central parts of the state. Nepal has asked people to stay alert from October 29 to 31, and Delhi-NCR may see showers as the storm's remnants interact with a western disturbance.

What travellers should do now

• Do not rebook into the landfall window. Wednesday morning through Thursday is the highest-risk period for the Kakinada, Yanam, Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada belt.
• Keep refund options open. Trains cancelled by the railways normally get automatic refunds on e-tickets. For flights the airline cancels, passengers can usually pick a free reschedule or a refund, so check before accepting a voucher.
• Avoid the coast. Visakhapatnam has closed its beaches, and tourist boat services in Odisha's Khordha district are suspended for three days.
• Save local helplines. Andhra Pradesh's state control room is reachable on 112, 1070 and 1800 425 0101.

Travel into the region in the run-up to Diwali may also feel the effects for longer if power lines and tracks take time to restore. Anyone with bookings in early November should watch for further railway notices.

This is an original summary based on public reporting. See our editorial policy for how we source, write, and correct our stories.