Nighttime Satellite View Documents Cyclone Arnab Near India

VIIRS recorded the storm before its landfall along the country’s eastern coast.

The Oversize News · Published November 7, 2026
Primary source released 2026-10-29 · News brief & context

A nighttime satellite image shows Arnab's circular structure with bright white clouds as the storm approaches India's east coast. City lights are visible on darkened land surfaces on the left side of the image. — Cyclone Arnab observed by NOAA-20 VIIRS on October 26, 2026, at 20:12 UTC. Image: NASA Earth Observatory / Michala Garrison; VIIRS day-night data, NASA EOSDIS LANCE, GIBS/Worldview and JPSS. Source and original image.

A view before landfall

A nighttime satellite image published by NASA Earth Observatory shows Cyclone Arnab approaching India across the Bay of Bengal. NOAA-20 captured the scene on October 26 at 20:12 UTC, equivalent to the early hours of October 27 in India.

The coastal impact

NASA’s report places landfall early on October 28 along the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coast. It cites the India Meteorological Department’s classification of a very severe cyclonic storm, with sustained winds around 130 kilometers per hour at landfall.

Looking beyond the cloud pattern

The report describes disruption to transport, power and agriculture and evacuations from vulnerable coastal areas. The orbital view helps locate the storm relative to the coast, but local impacts depend on rainfall, flooding, wind and the exposure of communities beneath the clouds.

Reading this report

This article records an event and is not an emergency bulletin. Published wind estimates belong to specific observation times. For active hazards or recovery instructions, use official local agencies rather than an archived photograph or a summary of the storm’s earlier position.

Source & verification

This independently written summary is based on NASA’s original report, released 2026-10-29. Consult the source for research details, methods and subsequent updates. NASA does not sponsor or endorse this publication.