Bengal Experiences Heavy Rain as Cyclonic Storm Arnab Moves Closer to Andhra Pradesh Coast

Tuesday afternoon saw considerable rainfall in Bengal’s coastal areas as the extremely powerful cyclonic storm Arnab raced west-northwest over the Bay of Bengal and reached the coast of Andhra Pradesh.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicts that the storm will cross the Yanam coasts of Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam, close to Yanam, by the forenoon of October 28, bringing moderate to heavy rainfall throughout South Bengal and placing Andhra Pradesh on high alert. South Bengal’s coastal districts, such as South 24 Parganas and Purba Medinipur, had moderate rainfall on Tuesday. The weather system also brought rain to parts of Kolkata, Howrah, Paschim Medinipur, and Jhargram.

Over the next two days, Kolkata is expected to get light to moderate rain, according to the Met department. All districts in South Bengal are expected to see moderate rainfall until October 29, while some areas are expected to see severe rain until October 30. On October 29 and 30, Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Alipurduar, and Jalpaiguri in the sub-Himalayan zone are predicted to have heavy rain.

The IMD warned fishermen not to go out into the choppy waters until October 29, stating that “squally weather with wind speeds reaching 40 to 50 kmph, occasionally gusting up to 60 kmph, is extremely expected in the region till October 29.”

During the six hours before 8:30 am on Tuesday, the very severe cyclonic storm, which was centred over the west-central Bay of Bengal, travelled west-northwest at a speed of 20 kmph. It was situated 220 miles southeast of Visakhapatnam, 240 km east-southeast of Kakinada, 340 km east-southeast of Machilipatnam, 370 km south of Gopalpur in Odisha, and 410 km east of Bapatla.

The Met department issued a formal press statement tracking the system. “The cyclone, which was earlier classified as a severe cyclonic storm over the west-central Bay of Bengal, has intensified into a very severe cyclonic storm and is expected to cross the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts near Yanam, between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam, by the forenoon of October 28.”

At the time of landfall, the storm is expected to pack maximum sustained wind speeds of up to 135 kmph, with gusts reaching 150 kmph. Rising sea waves in Andhra Pradesh struck Uppada, Konapapet, and Moolapet along the coast in the Pithapuram area of the Kakinada district, disrupting travel between Uppada and Kakinada.

Concerns about rising seas and the possible storm impact were voiced by residents of Uppada, Konapapet, Moolapet, Subbampet, and other places. According to the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA), coastal cities like Visakhapatnam and Kakinada are already experiencing strong gusts, and Srikakulam is anticipating heavy rain and severe winds in the near future.

APSDMA Managing Director Prakhar Jain advised residents to stay indoors during the cyclone, move to shelters if necessary, and avoid coastal areas, as wave heights could reach 1-2 meters. Authorities have set up 2,131 cyclone shelters in 20 districts and are sending alerts to 2.70 crore people.

Over 30,000 fishing boats have been secured, and medical resources, including 1,087 teams and 21,536 doses of anti-snake venom, are prepared. 1,351 pregnant women have been relocated to hospitals, and essential supplies are stocked across ration shops. Transportation disruptions occurred, including the cancellation of two IndiGo flights, while railway tracks in the Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam divisions are under surveillance for passenger safety.