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Cyclone Arnab forced the suspension of cargo operations at both Kakinada's anchorage port and deepwater port on October 27, 2026, with 11 commercial vessels moved approximately 200 nautical miles offshore as a precaution. Nine ships were associated with the anchorage port and two with the deepwater facility, according to local reporting. The storm completed landfall on India's Andhra Pradesh coast on the morning of October 28, with sustained winds of 125–135 km/h and gusts reaching 150 km/h. India's Meteorological Department placed the landfall center approximately 60 kilometers southwest of Kakinada. The immediate maritime concern is when port personnel, vessel movements, cargo-handling systems and offshore anchorages can safely resume operations.
The Storm Arrived.
Eleven Ships Had Already Moved.
Kakinada Anchorage
Nine vessels associated with the anchorage operation
Kakinada Deepwater
Two vessels associated with the deepwater facility
Retained in the October 28 coastal bulletin issued by IMD's Visakhapatnam warning center.
A 21.69-Million-Tonne
Port System Faces Cyclone Recovery
Historical cargo footprint
Official 2024–25 port throughput, India Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways; million metric tonnes
Four operating checks before a reliable reopening
Operational verification framework, not an official reopening checklist or confirmation of damage.
Updated wind, swell, visibility, pilots, towage and safe arrival conditions must support vessel movement.
Berths, cargo gear, storage, electrical systems and any storm-affected infrastructure require operational checks.
Anchorage cargo operations depend on suitable sea conditions for ship-to-barge transfer, alongside the availability of workers and cargo craft.
Resuming terminal operations does not automatically clear rescheduled ship arrivals, cargo queues or inland transportation constraints.
Sulphur Carrier Grounded Near Antarvedi
ANI reporting attributes the grounding to a vessel that departed Visakhapatnam and reportedly suffered an engine failure before drifting off course. Maritime authorities were monitoring the vessel, with inspection still needed to establish its condition.
Vessel identity, damage and cargo quantity not verifiedFlooding Reaches Anchorage Port Godowns
Three people were reported stranded at Central Water Commission godowns inside Kakinada Anchorage Port after rainwater and seawater flooding interrupted power. Separately, coastal erosion damaged the Uppada road near Kakinada.
No portwide damage assessment confirmedHow Much Cargo Could a
Kakinada Shutdown Defer?
Set the operating conditions
All values are hypothetical, except the underlying historical port throughput.
Metric tonnes potentially deferred under the selected scenario, using historical daily-average throughput. This is not a measured loss or confirmed cargo backlog.
Exposure by port operation
Bars show the relative share of modeled exposure at each facility.
After both facilities reopen, assuming the specified extra handling capacity is available separately at each port.
One-way sailing time for 200 nautical miles at the selected constant speed. Excludes pilotage and delays.
Calculation method and important limitations
Daily reference throughput = FY2024–25 cargo tonnage / 365. Deepwater: 17.81 million tonnes annually. Anchorage: 3.88 million tonnes annually. Each port's deferred cargo is calculated from its daily reference throughput, chosen closure length and activity factor, less the selected diversion allowance.
Catch-up days = deferred tonnes / extra daily handling above normal. Calculated separately for each facility; the displayed catch-up time is the longer of the two, assuming both reopen together for recovery planning. The model does not include reduced early-stage productivity, berth conflicts, storage limits or vessel scheduling.
Offshore return hours = 200 nautical miles / assumed vessel speed in knots. The 200-nautical-mile input is drawn from local reports of vessels moved offshore. It is not a verified location for every ship, nor an established safe return route.
Not a live port-status service: The model does not predict reopening dates, vessel arrivals, cargo losses or financial damages. It is an illustrative sensitivity tool based on older official port statistics and separately reported storm conditions.
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