India
oi-Prakash KL
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday said that the weather system over the Bay of Bengal is moving west-northwestwards and is expected to intensify into a deep depression before crossing the Andhra Pradesh-Odisha coast.
On Monday, the weather office had already flagged that the depression over the west-central and adjoining northwest Bay of Bengal was likely to strengthen into a deep depression.
The IMD forecasts a Bay of Bengal weather system moving west-northwest, expected to intensify into a deep depression before landfall on the north Andhra Pradesh-south Odisha coast late Wednesday/early Thursday. Srikakulam and Vizianagaram face a red alert for extremely heavy rain.
In its latest update, the IMD said the depression had moved westwards at a speed of 18 kmph over the past six hours. As of 8:30 am IST on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, it was centred over the same region near latitude 17.9°N and longitude 86.0°E – about 200 km southeast of Gopalpur (Odisha), 200 km east-southeast of Kalingapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), 210 km south of Puri (Odisha), and 290 km east of Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh).
“It is very likely to move west-northwestwards and intensify into a deep depression over the west-central and adjoining northwest Bay of Bengal during the next 12 hours,” the IMD said, adding that the system is forecast to continue on its west-northwestward track.
The IMD said the system is expected to make landfall between Visakhapatnam and Gopalpur, along the north Andhra Pradesh-south Odisha coast, late Wednesday night or in the early hours of Thursday, as a deep depression.
Will It Be Named Arnab?
If the system intensifies into a cyclonic storm, it will be named Arnab – the next name on the list for cyclonic storms in the North Indian Ocean. The name, which means “ocean” in Bengali, was contributed by Bangladesh to the regional tropical cyclone naming list maintained by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the IMD.
Andhra Pradesh is bracing for a severe spell of rain as the depression over the Bay of Bengal closes in on the coast.
Srikakulam and Vizianagaram are under a red alert, with isolated spots in both districts – and neighbouring Parvathipuram Manyam – likely to be pounded by extremely heavy rain on September 22 and 23. Alluri Sitharama Raju, Anakapalli and Visakhapatnam can expect heavy to very heavy showers, while other parts of the state will see moderate to heavy rain.
The downpour is expected to peak again on September 23 and 24, when Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Parvathipuram Manyam and Alluri Sitharama Raju could be hit by extremely heavy rain. Anakapalli, Visakhapatnam, Kakinada, East Godavari and Eluru are also in line for heavy to very heavy rain.
