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Landfall Watch: Deep Depression Nears Visakhapatnam-Gopalpur Coast, Red Alert in Ganjam, Gajapati, Koraput

23 September 2026TodayIndian Cyclones Team
Bay of BengalDeep Depression2026LandfallDistrict Warnings

Current Status

The Deep Depression tracked in our previous bulletin has held its intensity through 23 September. As of 0830 IST, it was centred near 17.9°N, 86.0°E over the west-central Bay of Bengal — about 140 km east-southeast of Kalingapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) and 150 km from Gopalpur (Odisha) — moving west-northwestwards at 15-18 km/h.

Forecast Landfall

IMD's forecast track has narrowed since our last update. The system is very likely to cross the north Andhra Pradesh – south Odisha coast between Visakhapatnam and Gopalpur during the night of 23 September into the early hours of 24 September, still as a Deep Depression. Full live position, forecast track and district warnings are kept current on our Active Systems page.

District-Level Warnings

IMD district bulletins have escalated as the system nears the coast:

  • Red alert: Ganjam, Gajapati and Koraput (Odisha), and Srikakulam (Andhra Pradesh) — heavy to very heavy rainfall, with extremely heavy falls at isolated places, on 23-24 September.
  • Orange alert: Kalahandi, Nabarangpur, Malkangiri, Puri, Khordha and Jagatsinghpur (Odisha), and Visakhapatnam and Vizianagaram (Andhra Pradesh).
  • Yellow alert: Kendrapara (Odisha).

Squally winds gusting to 75 km/h are likely along and off the south Odisha – north Andhra Pradesh coasts from the morning of 23 September to the evening of 24 September, with very heavy to extremely heavy rain over south Odisha.

Precautionary Measures

Schools have been shut in Khurda, Jagatsinghpur, Ganjam, Gajapati and Malkangiri districts. Ferry services on Chilika Lake are suspended through 25 September, sea bathing has been banned at Puri until 24 September, and fishermen have been advised against venturing into the sea until 24 September. Odisha's disaster response authority has deployed 33 ODRAF teams, 24 of them in the most vulnerable districts and 9 held in reserve.

What This Means

IMD has not forecast this system to intensify into a cyclonic storm; it is expected to remain a Deep Depression through landfall. It has therefore not been named. If it were later upgraded, the next name on the WMO/ESCAP North Indian Ocean list is Arnab, proposed by Bangladesh — shown for reference only and not a forecast that naming will happen.

Source

This bulletin is based on Tropical Weather Outlook and press bulletins issued by RSMC Tropical Cyclones, New Delhi, and the IMD Regional Meteorological Centre, Kolkata, dated 23.09.2026. For official warnings and forecasts, refer to mausam.imd.gov.in.