A very severe cyclonic storm is likely to hit the coast of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha on October 28, with the India Meteorological Department expecting landfall somewhere between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam. The warning puts millions of coastal residents in both states on notice that the next few days will be dangerous.

The system began as a low pressure area in the east-central Bay of Bengal. It has been strengthening and moving toward the coast. In a Sunday morning bulletin, the IMD placed the system about 880 kilometres southeast of Visakhapatnam and 980 kilometres from Kakinada, moving west-northwest.

The forecast timeline

Forecasters expect the system to become a deep depression by Sunday evening. It is then projected to become a cyclonic storm on October 26, a severe cyclonic storm on October 27, and a very severe cyclonic storm by October 28. Officials expect it to reach the coast on the morning of October 28, when winds could blow at 115 to 125 kilometres per hour, with gusts up to 140 kilometres per hour.

Heavy to very heavy rainfall is also expected across coastal Andhra districts on Tuesday and Wednesday. That rain will arrive before the storm itself, which means flooding and waterlogging could strike while residents are still preparing.

Andhra Pradesh moves into emergency mode

For Andhra Pradesh, the threat is immediate. The storm’s expected landfall zone runs along the state’s coastline between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam, placing several coastal districts directly in its path. Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu held a high-level review meeting on the preparations, joined by Chief Secretary Sai Prasad and representatives of the Real Time Governance Society.

Naidu directed the entire administration to remain on alert and to keep the public updated continuously. He also ordered strict measures to stop fishermen from going out to sea. Officials were told to make toll-free helpline numbers available for emergency assistance.

The state disaster management authority has issued its own advisory. It urged residents to stay extremely alert as the warnings develop.

People must remain extremely alert, the state disaster management authority urged residents in its advisory.

Odisha starts moving people out of harm’s way

Odisha is preparing along the same storm track. The state government has taken precautionary steps, deployed large numbers of disaster management personnel along its coastline, and begun shifting coastal residents to safer locations. The scale of that evacuation effort shows how seriously authorities are treating the threat, even days before the system reaches land.

What comes next

The storm’s exact track and intensity could still shift in the coming days, and forecasters have not yet confirmed the final landfall point. What is clear is the timeline. Rain arrives first on Tuesday and Wednesday, the storm builds through October 27, and the most dangerous winds are expected on the morning of October 28.

For families living in low-lying villages, fishing hamlets and areas near the Bay of Bengal, that window is short. Officials are urging people to follow official bulletins, avoid the sea, and move early if told to leave. The next 72 hours will determine how well the preparations hold up when the storm arrives.