Cyclone Arnab is expected to bring heavy rain to several parts of West Bengal between October 28 and 30, while the India Meteorological Department tracks the storm ahead of its projected landfall on the Andhra Pradesh coast on Wednesday morning.
The very severe cyclonic storm was located over the west-central Bay of Bengal when the IMD issued its warning on Tuesday. The department said the system was likely to move northwestwards before making landfall along the Andhra Pradesh coast on the morning of October 28.
In south Bengal, heavy rain is forecast in South 24 Parganas, Purba Medinipur, Paschim Medinipur, Jhargram, Purulia, Bankura and Paschim Bardhaman on October 28 and 29. The warning covers districts with coastal, rural and urban settlements that may face difficult weather conditions during the storm’s influence.
Kolkata is likely to receive light to moderate rain over the next 48 hours, according to the IMD. The forecast does not place the city in the heavy-rain list provided for south Bengal, but it indicates that the storm’s wider circulation will affect weather conditions in the state capital and surrounding urban areas.
The impact is also expected to extend to the sub-Himalayan region of the state. Heavy rain has been forecast in Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri on October 29 and 30, after the system’s projected landfall in Andhra Pradesh.
The storm has prompted warnings for the West Bengal coast and the north Bay of Bengal. Squally winds of 40-50 kmph, with gusts reaching up to 60 kmph, are likely along and off the coast, the IMD said. Sea conditions are expected to remain rough to very rough under the influence of the storm.
Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea until October 29. The restriction is tied to the expected wind conditions and the state of the sea as Cyclone Arnab moves towards landfall. The warning is particularly relevant to coastal communities and fishing operations in and around the affected maritime zone.
The IMD said it was closely monitoring the storm’s movement and direction ahead of the expected landfall. Its current forecast places the main heavy-rain window for south Bengal on October 28 and 29, followed by heavy rain in parts of north Bengal on October 29 and 30. Kolkata’s light to moderate rain forecast covers the next 48 hours.
