Very severe cyclone forecast to hit India's Andhra Pradesh coast on 28 October

India's weather department has warned that a depression over the Bay of Bengal is likely to intensify into a very severe cyclonic storm and cross the coast of Andhra Pradesh. Parts of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha were placed on alert as the system approached, with very heavy rainfall forecast for several districts of southern Andhra Pradesh.

Key facts

• 28 October: expected date of landfall on the Andhra Pradesh coast
• Landfall zone: between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam
• Winds: maximum sustained speeds of 115-125 km/h, gusting to 140 km/h
• Closures: schools and colleges in five southern Odisha districts on 28 and 29 October
• Areas affected: Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, on the Bay of Bengal

What is happening?

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said a depression over the east-central Bay of Bengal is likely to strengthen into a very severe cyclonic storm by Tuesday. The system is then expected to move towards the Andhra Pradesh coast.

IMD forecast maximum sustained wind speeds of 115-125 km/h, gusting to 140 km/h, by the forenoon of 28 October, when the storm is likely to make landfall. Weather officials also predicted very heavy rainfall in several districts of southern Andhra Pradesh.

Where and when will the storm make landfall?

According to IMD, the storm is likely to cross the Andhra Pradesh coast between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam. The crossing is expected around 28 October, the same date on which the strongest winds are forecast.

What preparations have been announced?

Parts of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha were on alert on Sunday as authorities assessed the situation. Schools and colleges in five southern Odisha districts bordering Andhra Pradesh will remain closed on 28 and 29 October, the Indian Express newspaper reported.

President Droupadi Murmu's scheduled two-day visit to Odisha on 28 and 29 October has been postponed to early November because of the approaching cyclone, according to the same report.

What this means for travellers

Travellers planning to be in Andhra Pradesh or Odisha around 28 October should expect conditions to change as the storm approaches, particularly along the stretch of coast between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam. The announced school and college closures in five southern Odisha districts cover 28 and 29 October, and a presidential visit to Odisha has already been moved to early November.

Anyone with plans in the region during that window should follow local weather warnings from IMD and any instructions issued by authorities in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.

Further updates on the storm's path and intensity are expected as it develops over the Bay of Bengal ahead of the forecast landfall.