Cyclone Arnab Moves Closer As Heavy Rain And Strong Winds Threaten Multiple States

Severe cyclonic storm Arnab is moving towards the coast, bringing heavy rain and strong winds to West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, and Odisha.

Path And Speed

Over the past six hours, the storm moved west-north-westward at a speed of 20 kilometres per hour. It was located 170 kilometres south-southeast of Visakhapatnam and 190 kilometres east-southeast of Kakinada. On Tuesday evening, the system is expected to hit its most severe phase with wind speeds reaching 150 to 160 kilometres per hour, and gusting up to 180 kilometres per hour. Landfall is predicted near the Bapatla coast in Andhra Pradesh, where the system will cross the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coast by October 28 afternoon before weakening into a deep depression by October 29.

Impact On Bengal

West Bengal will experience the effects of the cyclone from October 27 to 30. Coastal areas will see 60 kilometres per hour winds and rough seas starting Tuesday night, with fishermen told to stay out of the sea until October 29. Light to moderate rain is expected on Tuesday night in North and South 24 Parganas, East and West Medinipur, Jhargram, Kolkata, and Howrah, along with winds of 30 to 40 kilometres per hour. Rain will spread to almost all districts by October 28, bringing 70 to 110 millimetres of rainfall and 40 to 50 kilometres per hour winds to South 24 Parganas, East and West Medinipur, and Jhargram. On October 29, East and West Medinipur, Jhargram, Bankura, Purulia, and West Burdwan will see widespread rain and heavy falls in some areas. North Bengal will also face severe weather, with rain across all districts on October 28 and heavy rain of 70 to 110 millimetres in Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Kalimpong, and Alipurduar on October 29 and thirty, raising fears of landslides in hill areas.

Official Responses

Kakinada District Collector Harendhira Prasad stated that authorities are expecting heavy rains and strong winds, with landfall predicted between Kakinada and Narsapur between 9 PM and midnight. Officials have evacuated vulnerable coastal residents, set up 101 cyclone shelters stocked with food and water, formed road-opening parties, and deployed 39 power supply monitoring teams while the Irrigation Department monitors water levels. Meanwhile, IMD Bhubaneswar Director Manorama Mohanty noted the storm is 370 kilometres from Gopalpur and will move towards Chhattisgarh after crossing the coast, triggering heavy to very heavy rainfall and wind warnings across Odisha districts such as Ganjam and Gajapati.

Context

Tropical cyclones frequently form in the region during the post-monsoon season, drawing energy from warm ocean waters before bringing destructive winds and heavy rainfall upon reaching land. Meteorological departments continuously track these systems using radar and satellite data to issue timely warnings and coordinate disaster management operations across affected districts.