West Bengal is bracing for prolonged heavy rainfall across several districts until October 31 as Cyclone Arnab impacts the region, prompting the India Meteorological Department to issue alerts covering coastal, western, and sub-Himalayan zones. The severe weather system made landfall on the Andhra Pradesh coast between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam in the early hours of Wednesday as a very severe cyclonic storm, packing maximum sustained wind speeds of 125 to 135 kmph with gusts reaching up to 150 kmph. Under the influence of this powerful cyclone, moderate to heavy rain accompanied by gusty winds began lashing coastal areas, particularly South 24 Parganas and Purba Medinipur districts, starting Tuesday evening. Kolkata experienced significant overnight thundershowers, recording 19.1 mm of rainfall between Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning, with meteorologists forecasting continued overcast skies and light to moderate showers for the city. According to weather bulletins issued by the IMD, heavy downpours are expected to persist across coastal and western districts—including Purba Medinipur, South 24 Parganas, Jhargram, Paschim Medinipur, Bankura, and Purulia—until Friday morning. Furthermore, the rainfall activity is predicted to shift northward, bringing heavy precipitation to sub-Himalayan districts such as Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, and Alipurduar through Saturday morning. The inclement weather conditions have already disrupted regional transport networks, leading to the cancellation and delay of several incoming and outgoing flights at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata as a safety precaution. To minimize hazards at sea, authorities have issued strict advisories warning fishermen against venturing into coastal waters along and off the West Bengal shoreline until Thursday. Disaster management teams and local authorities remain on high alert across the affected districts to monitor rising water levels and address potential localized flooding, structural damage, and travel disruptions as the weather system continues its progression across eastern India over the coming days.
