Hyderabad: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued red and orange alerts for several districts in Andhra Pradesh as a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal is expected to intensify into Cyclone Arnab on Monday (October 26) and further strengthen into a severe cyclonic storm on Tuesday (October 27). The IMD also forecast heavy to extremely heavy rainfall in several parts of Telangana over the next three days due to Cyclone Arnab.
The IMD said in a statement that a severe cyclonic storm will cross the Andhra Pradesh coast on October 28 and warned of extremely heavy rainfall and strong winds across the region.
“The depression over the east-central and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal is likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm on Monday, a severe cyclonic storm on Tuesday and a very severe cyclonic storm by Wednesday,” it said in the statement.
The weather department predicted that the cyclone would cross the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam by the forenoon of October 28, with maximum sustained wind speeds of 115–125 kmph, gusting to 140 kmph.
The IMD has issued a red alert for extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places in Kakinada, East Godavari, Konaseema, Eluru and West Godavari districts on October 27.
“Heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected in Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, Alluri Sitharama Raju, Anakapalli, NTR, Krishna, Guntur and Bapatla districts, while Srikakulam, Parvathipuram Manyam, Palnadu, Prakasam and Nellore districts are likely to receive heavy rainfall,” it added.
The IMD also said that on October 28, extremely heavy rainfall is forecast in Visakhapatnam, Alluri Sitharama Raju, Anakapalli, Kakinada, East Godavari, Konaseema, Eluru, West Godavari, NTR, Krishna and Guntur districts.
The weather department has also predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall in Srikakulam, Parvathipuram Manyam, Vizianagaram and Bapatla districts, while Palnadu, Prakasam and Nellore districts may experience heavy rainfall.
Strong winds reaching 90–100 kmph, gusting to 110 kmph, are expected along the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts on October 27. Wind speeds are likely to increase to 110–125 kmph, gusting to 140 kmph, on October 28, it said.
Meanwhile, IMD forecast heavy rainfall is likely at isolated places across Telangana on October 27, while extremely heavy rainfall is expected in parts of the state on October 28, particularly in eastern districts bordering Andhra Pradesh.
The weather department has issued a red alert for Mulugu, Bhadradri Kothagudem and Khammam districts on October 28, warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall, with extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places.
An orange alert issued for Jayashankar Bhupalpally, Mahabubabad, Warangal, Hanamkonda and Suryapet districts, where heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected.
"Rainfall activity is expected to intensify on October 28 as the cyclonic system approaches the Andhra Pradesh coast. Heavy rainfall is likely to continue in parts of Telangana on October 29, particularly in eastern and northeastern districts. Hyderabad is also likely to experience light to moderate rainfall or thundershowers on October 28. However, the most intense rainfall is expected in the eastern districts of Telangana," it said in the statement
The IMD also said that the cyclone Aarnab is also expected to bring widespread rainfall to Odisha and Chhattisgarh, with its effects potentially extending to other eastern and central Indian states.
The weather department has advised fishermen not to venture into the west-central and adjoining areas of the Bay of Bengal between October 26 and 28 and along the Andhra Pradesh and Odisha coasts on October 27 and 28.