A new low-pressure area has formed over the southern Andaman Sea and adjoining regions, while the remnants of Cyclone Arnab continue to weaken over central India, according to the Alipore weather office. The developing system is expected to move towards the southeast Bay of Bengal by October 31 before shifting north towards the Andhra Pradesh coast, bringing the possibility of rain and thunderstorms in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.
The weather office said the remnant of Cyclone Arnab, which had been positioned as a low-pressure area over Chhattisgarh and Odisha, has weakened further while moving north-westwards. It has now become a well-marked low-pressure area and is expected to lose more strength over the next 24 hours, turning into an ordinary low-pressure area over northern Chhattisgarh.
The new system over the southern Andaman Sea is being monitored by meteorologists. It is expected to move gradually north-westwards and reach the southeast Bay of Bengal by October 31, where it may intensify into a low-pressure area. Over the following two days, it is forecast to move further north towards the Andhra Pradesh coast.
West Bengal’s coastal districts currently have no specific warning linked to the sea system. The weather office has also said that the effects of the low-pressure area and cyclone over the sea have largely passed for now, and no warning has been issued for fishers. Light, scattered rain may continue across all districts of south Bengal, including Kolkata, from Friday through next Thursday. No heavy rainfall is expected in the region during this period.
However, thunderstorms and gusty winds are possible in Purba Bardhaman, Paschim Bardhaman, Birbhum, Murshidabad and Nadia on Friday. Wind speeds in these districts may reach 30 to 40 kilometres per hour. The forecast means that short-duration weather disruptions remain possible even though there is no broad heavy-rain alert for south Bengal.
North Bengal is expected to receive more intense rainfall. Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri may receive extremely heavy rain, measured at 7 to 20 centimetres, on Friday, accompanied by gusty winds. Kalimpong and Alipurduar are forecast to receive heavy rain of 7 to 11 centimetres. A yellow warning for scattered rain with lightning has been issued for Cooch Behar, North Dinajpur, South Dinajpur and Malda.
Rain and thunderstorms may continue in north Bengal until Saturday. Daytime temperatures in the northern districts are expected to fall by 3 to 4 degrees Celsius over the next 24 hours, before rising gradually by another 2 to 3 degrees over the subsequent two days. Minimum temperatures are not expected to change significantly.
In south Bengal, daytime temperatures may rise by 2 to 3 degrees over the next 48 hours, while night temperatures are expected to remain stable. Kolkata recorded a minimum temperature of 25.2 degrees Celsius on Friday morning, 2.6 degrees above normal. The city’s maximum temperature on Thursday was 28.2 degrees Celsius, 2.7 degrees below normal. The Alipore weather office is continuing to monitor the new system as it moves across the Bay of Bengal.
