Bay of Bengal low-pressure system may intensify into Cyclone Arnab; heavy rain likely in Bengal
The IMD has warned of increased rainfall activity in Odisha between October 27 and 29, while coastal Andhra Pradesh is also expected to receive heavy rain
A low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal is expected to intensify into a cyclonic storm by Monday (October 26) and move towards the north Andhra Pradesh and adjoining south Odisha coasts, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Friday (October 23). The developing system is likely to trigger heavy rainfall across several states, with West Bengal also expected to experience thunderstorms and rain in the coming days.
According to the IMD, the system is likely to intensify into a depression on Saturday (October 24), strengthen into a deep depression on October 25 and develop into a cyclonic storm over the west-central Bay of Bengal by October 26. It is then expected to move west-north-westwards towards the Andhra Pradesh-Odisha coast. If it develops into a cyclone, it will be named Arnab.
Rain forecast for West Bengal
The IMD has forecast thunderstorms accompanied by gusty winds of up to 40 kmph across south Bengal districts from October 28. Heavy rainfall is likely in the coastal districts of South 24 Parganas and Purba Medinipur, as well as Paschim Medinipur, Jhargram, Purulia and Bankura.
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The weather system is also expected to bring down daytime temperatures by two to three degrees Celsius in parts of southern West Bengal. Kolkata is likely to experience thunderstorms from October 28.
The IMD has advised fishermen not to venture into the sea from October 26 as the system intensifies and moves towards the coast.
Andhra Pradesh, Odisha on alert
Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Odisha are likely to bear the brunt of the developing system, with heavy to very heavy rainfall forecast in several areas. The IMD has warned of increased rainfall activity in Odisha between October 27 and 29, while coastal Andhra Pradesh is also expected to receive heavy rain.
The system’s exact track and the location and timing of any coastal crossing remain subject to further forecasts.
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Rainfall warnings have also been issued for parts of southern India, including Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, as well as the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, under the influence of prevailing weather systems.
Cyclone Arnab
If the system intensifies into a cyclonic storm, it will be named Arnab. Bangladesh contributed the name to the list of names maintained for tropical cyclones in the North Indian Ocean under the regional naming system coordinated by the World Meteorological Organization and the IMD. Arnab means “ocean” in Bengali.
A weather system in September had also raised the possibility of a cyclone but did not reach cyclonic-storm intensity. It instead crossed the Andhra Pradesh-Odisha coast as a deep depression, bringing heavy rainfall to parts of the region.
(With agency inputs)