India Meteorological Department says a Bay of Bengal system may become the cyclonic storm Arnab, with rain over south Bengal

23 October 2026

The India Meteorological Department has forecast that a low pressure system over the Bay of Bengal may deepen into a cyclonic storm over the west-central Bay and then move west-north-westwards towards the Andhra Pradesh-Odisha coast. If it reaches cyclonic storm strength it will be named Arnab, a name contributed by Bangladesh to the North Indian Ocean list kept under the regional naming system coordinated by the World Meteorological Organization and the India Meteorological Department. Arnab means ocean in Bengali. Thunderstorms are forecast for south Bengal including Kolkata from October 28, with gusty winds up to 40 kmph over South 24 Parganas, Purba Medinipur, Paschim Medinipur, Jhargram, Purulia and Bankura. Fishermen have been advised not to go to sea.