Cyclone Arnab coming? Schools shut across Odisha; Andhra Pradesh on high alert as Bay of Bengal depression inches closer; heavy rain, 75 kmph winds likely

Odisha has shut schools in several districts and put 11 district collectors on high alert as a weather system over the Bay of Bengal moves towards the coast. India Meteorological Department has warned of heavy to very heavy rain and squalls of up to 75 kmph over the next two days.

The system is currently a depression, sitting around 220 km from Gopalpur in Odisha and 320 km from Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. It is expected to strengthen into a deep depression within 12 hours.

When will the depression cross the coast


The depression is moving west-northwestwards. It is likely to cross the coast between Visakhapatnam and Gopalpur during the night of September 23 and the early hours of September 24.

Heavy to very heavy rain is expected across southern and coastal Odisha. Isolated pockets could see extremely heavy rainfall.

The weather department has said the system is expected to intensify only into a deep depression, not a cyclone.

Schools are shut across Odisha

Rain from the depression had already lashed coastal and southern Odisha. District administrations responded by shutting schools and anganwadi centres in several areas.

Schools stayed closed for the day in Khurda, Jagatsinghpur, Ganjam and Gajapati. Malkangiri ordered schools shut until September 24.

Teachers and staff have still been asked to report to schools, with principals told to keep buildings accessible round the clock in case of an emergency.

The National Rural Talent Scholarship exam scheduled for the day went ahead as planned at its centres.

Which districts are on high alert

Odisha chief secretary Anu Garg said collectors of 11 districts had been placed on high alert.

Cyclone and flood shelters have been kept ready. Authorities are preparing for possible waterlogging, urban flooding, landslides and mudslides.

Government employees' leave has been cancelled in Ganjam, Koraput and Kalahandi. Teachers in Koraput and Kalahandi have been told not to leave their place of posting until September 25.

Vehicle movement has been restricted on some roads, including the Kalinga Ghat stretch between Ganjam and Kandhamal. Ferry services between Satapada and Jahnikuda on Chilika Lake will stay suspended until September 25.

What the red alert covers

A red alert is in place for parts of southern Odisha from September 23 to 25.

Koraput, Gajapati and Ganjam are likely to get heavy to very heavy rain, with extremely heavy rain at isolated spots, on September 23 and 24.

Kalahandi, Nabarangpur, Koraput and Malkangiri come under red alert for September 24 and 25. Rain is expected to continue in parts of the state until September 25.

Squalls gusting up to 75 kmph are also likely along and off the south Odisha-north Andhra Pradesh coast from the morning of September 23 to the evening of September 24.

Will the system actually become Cyclone Arnab

Arnab is not the name of the current depression. It is simply the next unused name on the list of tropical cyclone names for the North Indian Ocean.

The list is maintained under the WMO/ESCAP Panel on tropical cyclones, with names contributed by member countries. Arnab was contributed by Bangladesh and sits next in the sequence.

A weather system only gets a cyclone name once it reaches the required intensity. The current Odisha system would need to strengthen well beyond a deep depression for the Arnab name to come into play.

For now, the weather department expects the system to peak as a deep depression, not a cyclone.

Inputs from TOI