Cyclone Arnab has formed in the Bay of Bengal and is forecast to become a very severe storm before crossing India's coast on Wednesday. Light rain is expected in Rajshahi division.
A deep depression over the Bay of Bengal has intensified into Cyclone Arnab, the Bangladesh Meteorological Department announced on Monday. The storm is expected to strengthen further into a very severe cyclonic storm before making landfall on India's Andhra Pradesh coast on Wednesday, October 28.
The cyclone was located over the west-central Bay of Bengal with maximum sustained wind speeds of around 62 kilometres per hour near its centre, with gusts reaching up to 88 kilometres per hour. Maritime ports in Chattogram, Cox's Bazar, Mongla and Payra have been asked to hoist distant warning signal number 2, and fishing boats have been advised to remain close to the coast and navigate with caution.
BMD meteorologist Abdul Hamid Mia said that Cyclone Arnab is not expected to have a significant impact on Bangladesh. Coastal areas may experience light rain on Tuesday and Wednesday, but heavy rainfall is unlikely. After the cyclone makes landfall, Dhaka and Rajshahi divisions may also experience light rain.
The cyclone was named Arnab, a name proposed by Bangladesh under the World Meteorological Organisation's naming system for tropical cyclones in the North Indian Ocean. The system involves 13 countries that contribute names to a rotating list used for storms in the region.