School holidays have been announced in ten districts of Andhra Pradesh for Thursday, October 29, 2026, following heavy rainfall and disruption caused by Cyclone Arnab.
According to the latest district-level updates, schools will remain closed in Alluri Sitarama Raju (ASR), Eluru, Polavaram, East Godavari, Dr BR Ambedkar Konaseema, Krishna, Anakapalli, Kakinada and West Godavari.
The closures come even as Cyclone Arnab, which crossed the Andhra Pradesh coast on Wednesday morning, is expected to weaken gradually. Heavy rainfall, waterlogging and damage caused by strong winds remain concerns in several coastal districts.
The following districts have announced school holidays for October 29:
Alluri Sitarama Raju (ASR)
Eluru
Polavaram
East Godavari
Dr BR Ambedkar Konaseema
Krishna
Anakapalli
Kakinada
West Godavari
Vizianagaram
In Anakapalli, the October 29 holiday is part of the three-day closure announced earlier, covering October 27, 28 and 29.
Other districts have extended their closures following the cyclone's impact and prevailing local conditions.
Students and parents should follow instructions issued by their respective district administrations and schools regarding the applicability of the holiday to different educational institutions.
Although Visakhapatnam and Srikakulam experienced extremely heavy rainfall during the cyclone, they are not included in the nine-district October 29 holiday list available at the time of this update.
Schools in these districts were among those closed earlier as a precautionary measure.
However, no fresh October 29 closure announcement has been confirmed for these districts in the latest update.
Parents and students should check official district administration notices and communications from their schools rather than assume that previous holiday orders have been extended.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Cyclone Arnab completed its landfall over the Andhra Pradesh coast on October 28.
The cyclone crossed the coast during the early morning hours with maximum sustained wind speeds of 125–135 kmph, gusting to 150 kmph.
The IMD's October 28 bulletin recorded extremely heavy rainfall in several locations across north coastal Andhra Pradesh.
Among the highest rainfall observations were:
Garividi, Vizianagaram: 26 cm
Anakapalli: 25 cm
Srungavarapukota, Vizianagaram: 25 cm
Vepada, Vizianagaram: 25 cm
Bheemunipatnam, Visakhapatnam: 24 cm
Yelamanchili, Anakapalli: 24 cm
Ranastalam, Srikakulam: 23 cm
Visakhapatnam: 22 cm
The rainfall has raised concerns about waterlogging, damaged roads, electricity disruptions and access to school premises.
Although Cyclone Arnab is expected to weaken after landfall, the IMD has warned that rainfall activity may continue on Thursday.
According to the forecast, coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam may experience light to moderate rainfall or thundershowers at many places, with heavy rainfall at isolated locations.
Thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and strong winds of 40–50 kmph, gusting to 60 kmph, are also possible at isolated places.
The IMD has additionally warned of flash-flood risks in parts of Andhra Pradesh, particularly in low-lying areas where rainfall has already saturated the ground.
The October 29 closures are district-level decisions rather than a statewide holiday announcement.
Any additional school holidays or extensions will depend on fresh orders from the respective District Collectors and education authorities.
Students should monitor official district announcements and school communications for updates.
The weakening of Cyclone Arnab does not automatically mean that schools can reopen safely in every affected area. At the same time, an IMD rainfall warning does not itself constitute a school holiday announcement.
