Cyclone ‘Arnab’ threat: Which states will be affected as Bay of Bengal weather system nears coast
The weather department is still calling it a deep depression sitting out in the Bay of Bengal. But everyone’s already using the name Arnab because that’s what it will be called if it gets stronger. The name was given by Bangladesh, means “ocean” in Bengali, and it’s next on the list.
As of last night, that system was about 140-200 km off the coast, between Odisha and Andhra. It’s moving slowly towards us, west-northwest. The latest word is it should hit the coast somewhere between Visakhapatnam and Gopalpur late Wednesday night or early Thursday morning. That’s tonight into tomorrow morning, basically.
So who’s going to feel it most? Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, no question. In Odisha the southern districts are in for it. Ganjam, Gajapati, Koraput, Malkangiri, Kalahandi, Nabarangpur — these places could get really heavy rain, the kind that dumps 15-20 cm in a day. Some villages already had schools shut yesterday. Khurda, Jagatsinghpur, Ganjam, Gajapati — kids are home. A few more districts have closed schools till the 24th. Low areas might flood, hills could see landslides. They’ve even stopped the ferries on Chilika Lake. Officials are on high alert, shelters ready, that kind of thing.
Andhra side is the same story. Coastal belt around Visakhapatnam, Srikakulam, Vizianagaram — red alerts, orange alerts, heavy to very heavy rain expected. Strong winds, rough sea. Fishermen have been told stay home, don’t go out. Roads near the coast might get waterlogged, power could go for a bit. Nothing new for us who live here, but still, better to be ready.
West Bengal will get some of it too. South Bengal — East Medinipur, West Medinipur, the 24 Parganas, bits of Birbhum — already raining in places, and more is coming. Orange alert for a few of those districts. North Bengal might see heavy showers later. Kolkata itself? Some rain and wind, nothing crazy so far, but keep an eye out.
Once it crosses and moves inland, a bit of the rain might reach Telangana and parts of Chhattisgarh. Jharkhand could stay cloudy with light rain for a few days. Not the main hit, just leftover moisture.
Right now the IMD is saying it will come as a deep depression, not a cyclone. Even Odisha’s chief secretary said they were told it won’t turn into a cyclone this time. Still, the rain and wind alone are enough to cause problems — flooded streets, fallen trees, crops getting hit. If you live in a low-lying village or near a river, listen to the local officers. Move if they tell you to. Don’t take chances.
That’s pretty much the situation as we head into Wednesday night. Keep checking the latest updates from the weather people. These systems can change their mind sometimes. Stay dry, stay safe, and look after the neighbours if you can.
Sources:
India Meteorological Department updates, 22 September 2026
Reports from Hindustan Times, News24, Oneindia and other outlets based on IMD briefings, 22 September 2026
Cyclone ‘Arnab’ threat: Which states will be affected as Bay of Bengal weather system nears coast
The weather department is still calling it a deep depression sitting out in the Bay of Bengal. But everyone’s already using the name Arnab because that’s what it will be called if it gets stronger. The name was given by Bangladesh, means “ocean” in Bengali, and it’s next on the list.
As of last night, that system was about 140-200 km off the coast, between Odisha and Andhra. It’s moving slowly towards us, west-northwest. The latest word is it should hit the coast somewhere between Visakhapatnam and Gopalpur late Wednesday night or early Thursday morning. That’s tonight into tomorrow morning, basically.
So who’s going to feel it most? Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, no question. In Odisha the southern districts are in for it. Ganjam, Gajapati, Koraput, Malkangiri, Kalahandi, Nabarangpur — these places could get really heavy rain, the kind that dumps 15-20 cm in a day. Some villages already had schools shut yesterday. Khurda, Jagatsinghpur, Ganjam, Gajapati — kids are home. A few more districts have closed schools till the 24th. Low areas might flood, hills could see landslides. They’ve even stopped the ferries on Chilika Lake. Officials are on high alert, shelters ready, that kind of thing.
Andhra side is the same story. Coastal belt around Visakhapatnam, Srikakulam, Vizianagaram — red alerts, orange alerts, heavy to very heavy rain expected. Strong winds, rough sea. Fishermen have been told stay home, don’t go out. Roads near the coast might get waterlogged, power could go for a bit. Nothing new for us who live here, but still, better to be ready.
West Bengal will get some of it too. South Bengal — East Medinipur, West Medinipur, the 24 Parganas, bits of Birbhum — already raining in places, and more is coming. Orange alert for a few of those districts. North Bengal might see heavy showers later. Kolkata itself? Some rain and wind, nothing crazy so far, but keep an eye out.
Once it crosses and moves inland, a bit of the rain might reach Telangana and parts of Chhattisgarh. Jharkhand could stay cloudy with light rain for a few days. Not the main hit, just leftover moisture.
Right now the IMD is saying it will come as a deep depression, not a cyclone. Even Odisha’s chief secretary said they were told it won’t turn into a cyclone this time. Still, the rain and wind alone are enough to cause problems — flooded streets, fallen trees, crops getting hit. If you live in a low-lying village or near a river, listen to the local officers. Move if they tell you to. Don’t take chances.
That’s pretty much the situation as we head into Wednesday night. Keep checking the latest updates from the weather people. These systems can change their mind sometimes. Stay dry, stay safe, and look after the neighbours if you can.
Sources:
India Meteorological Department updates, 22 September 2026
Reports from Hindustan Times, News24, Oneindia and other outlets based on IMD briefings, 22 September 2026
@Rohit Manral
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