A deep depression over the east-central Bay of Bengal has intensified into Cyclonic Storm "Arnab" prompting weather authorities in Bangladesh and India to issue severe weather alerts for coastal regions.
The name "Arnab" which means sea or ocean was proposed by Bangladesh under the regional naming protocol governed by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
According to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) and the India Meteorological Department (IMD) the cyclone is moving west-northwestwards. It is expected to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm by midnight on Monday, October 26 and further strengthen into a very severe cyclonic storm over the west-central Bay of Bengal by Tuesday.
Forecasts indicate that Cyclone Arnab will track northwestwards and cross the Andhra Pradesh coast of India between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam by the forenoon of Wednesday, October 28. At landfall, the storm is expected to pack maximum sustained wind speeds of 115 to 125 km/h with gusts reaching up to 140 km/h.
As of Monday morning, the storm center was located hundreds of kilometers south-southwest of Bangladesh's key maritime hubs including Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Mongla and Payra ports. The BMD has advised all four maritime ports to hoist Distant Warning Signal No. 2 due to rough sea conditions. Fishing boats and trawlers operating in the northern Bay of Bengal have been directed to remain close to the coast and proceed with extreme caution until further notice.
While the storm's direct path targets the Indian coastline, coastal areas in southern India are already experiencing severe weather. The Regional Meteorological Centre in Chennai issued heavy rain warnings across several districts of Tamil Nadu accompanied by thunderstorms and gusty winds reaching 40 to 50 km/h.
Indian authorities have initiated preparatory measures and emergency planning in anticipation of torrential rainfall and strong coastal winds across Andhra Pradesh and neighboring Odisha.
