Bhubaneswar: Odisha stepped up its cyclone preparedness on Tuesday, shutting schools and anganwadi centres across several districts, cancelling more than 20 trains and putting airports on high alert as Cyclone Arnab threatened to bring heavy rain and strong winds to the state.Schools and anganwadi centres will remain closed on Wednesday in Khurda, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Kalahandi, Puri and Nuapada. Collectors of Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput, Nabarangpur and Malkangiri also ordered the closure of educational institutions, anticipating a greater impact of the cyclone.In Khurda, students in Bhubaneswar and other parts of the district had already reached schools on Tuesday as heavy rain and strong winds lashed the region. The administration subsequently ordered schools to close after the midday meal was served at 1 pm. The closure will remain in force until Oct 28.Collector Amrit Ruturaj said the order covered government, government-aided, Odisha Adarsha Vidyalayas (OAVs) and privately managed schools, from Sishu Vatika to Class XII. Teachers and other staff have been directed to attend their institutions, with no leave to be granted. School buildings and essential facilities must also be kept ready for use as emergency shelters, if required.In Cuttack, collector Dattatraya Bhausaheb Shinde announced the closure of schools, colleges and anganwadi centres on Wednesday. Teaching and non-teaching staff in Puri, Kalahandi and Jagatsinghpur have been asked to attend their institutions despite the closure. Nuapada has ordered schools to remain shut until Oct 29.The Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) in Bhubaneswar and the airports at Jeypore and Utkela were placed on alert, with contingency plans in place to ensure passenger safety and operational readiness.BPIA director Prasanna Pradhan said flight operations were expected to remain normal for now, though authorities were monitoring the situation. “Flight operations at the airport are expected to be normal. However, we are ready to deal with any situation, particularly if wind speed here rises,” he said.The weather had already affected operations on Tuesday, when a nine-seater aircraft flying from Utkela to Bhubaneswar was diverted to Rourkela because of rain. It resumed its journey and landed in Bhubaneswar after conditions improved in the evening.Officials said connectivity to Utkela and Jeypore could be affected if wind speeds exceeded 50 kmph, as the small aircraft operating on these routes are not designed to fly safely in such conditions. Flights from Bhubaneswar to most domestic destinations are unlikely to be disrupted, though services to southern destinations could face weather-related issues around Visakhapatnam.The East Coast Railway cancelled more than 20 express and passenger trains connecting Visakhapatnam, Secunderabad, Kirandul, Jagdalpur, Rourkela, Sambalpur, Rayagada, Howrah, Bhubaneswar and Koraput on different dates between Oct 27 and Nov 5.The Bhubaneswar-Jagdalpur Hirakhand Express will be short-terminated at Rayagada from Oct 27 to 30, while the Jagdalpur-Bhubaneswar service will originate from Rayagada instead of Jagdalpur from Oct 28 to 31.Railway officials advised passengers to check the National Train Enquiry System (NTES) and official Indian Railways platforms for updates before starting their journeys.