Cyclone Arnab’s landfall process has brought a warning of heavy rain, strong winds and elevated tidal conditions across West Bengal, with four south Bengal districts expected to receive 7-11 centimetres of rain and six IndiGo flights cancelled at Kolkata airport.
According to the Alipore weather office, heavy rain is likely on Wednesday in South 24 Parganas, East Midnapore, West Midnapore and Jhargram. Most other districts in south Bengal, including Kolkata, may receive light to moderate rain, while winds could reach 30-40 kilometres per hour.
The cyclone is mainly affecting Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, where strong winds and heavy rain have been reported during the landfall process. West Bengal has so far seen limited direct impact, but the weather office has forecast unsettled conditions across the state over the next two days.
At Kolkata airport, three IndiGo flights arriving at the airport and two departing flights were cancelled because of conditions associated with Cyclone Arnab, according to the report. The cancellations add an operational disruption to the weather-related risks facing the region, although no wider airport closure was reported.
Coastal areas of East Midnapore recorded scattered heavy rain at some locations after 3 pm on Tuesday. Rain was limited thereafter, but strong winds were observed from early Wednesday in areas including Contai and Ramnagar. The sea near the coast was also reported to be significantly more turbulent than normal from Wednesday morning.
The administration has been conducting continuous public announcements in coastal areas near Tajpur and Shankarpur. Bathing in the sea has been prohibited as a precaution. The measures are aimed at keeping visitors and residents away from beaches and exposed coastal stretches while tidal conditions remain elevated.
The Alipore weather office has also forecast rain and thunderstorms across south Bengal on Thursday. A change in weather conditions is expected from Friday, although yellow alerts for thunderstorms and rain remain in place in Purba Bardhaman, Paschim Bardhaman, Birbhum, Murshidabad and Nadia.
North Bengal is also expected to see deteriorating weather later in the week. No district in the region has been placed under a storm or rain warning for Wednesday, but heavy rain is forecast on Thursday and Friday in Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri. Other districts have been placed under yellow alerts for thunderstorms and rain.
The weather office has warned that heavy rain could trigger landslides in hilly areas. The warning is particularly relevant to road connectivity and movement in the Himalayan districts, where intense rainfall can affect slopes and disrupt transport routes. Authorities have not announced any additional closures or evacuation measures in the supplied report.
The immediate precautions in coastal East Midnapore are expected to continue while the cyclone’s landfall process and its broader weather effects persist. The next key forecast milestones are Thursday’s rain and thunderstorm conditions across Bengal and the expected shift in weather from Friday.
