The curious case of Cyclone Arnab: A name in waiting as rain lashes eastern India

As heavy rain continues across eastern India this Thursday afternoon, social media feeds remain filled with urgent warnings regarding "Cyclone Arnab". However, official tracking data confirms that no storm by that name has made landfall. The weather system that crossed the coast between Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh and Gopalpur in Odisha overnight—between Wednesday night and the early hours of Thursday, 24 September—was classified by meteorologists as a deep depression. While it has brought heavy deluges and gusty winds to the region, it never reached the official strength needed to earn a cyclone moniker.

The science behind the missing name

Assigning a name to a storm is not a matter of informal choice. The India Meteorological Department follows strict scientific parameters established by the World Meteorological Organization and the regional panel. A low-pressure system is categorised as a depression when sustained surface winds range between 31 and 50 km/h. When winds reach between 52 and 61 km/h, it becomes a deep depression. To be designated as an official cyclonic storm, sustained wind speeds must cross the mandatory threshold of 63 km/h. Because the current Bay of Bengal system remained capped at deep depression strength, meteorologists could not officially name it. The name "Arnab"—which translates to "ocean" in Bengali—was contributed by Bangladesh and sits as the next available entry on the regional master roster. It will only be assigned if a future system reaches true cyclonic intensity.

What unfolded across coastal districts overnight

Preparations intensified across Odisha’s southern districts on Wednesday ahead of the system's arrival. Malkangiri district targeted zero casualties, deploying 220 JCB excavators to clear potential landslides in ghat areas and positioning emergency rescue teams in key blocks like Mathili and Kalimela. After a brief lull in rainfall on Wednesday morning, heavy showers returned later in the day. By Wednesday night, the deep depression made landfall across the north Andhra Pradesh and south Odisha coast, delivering squally winds of up to 75 kmph alongside heavy rainfall. Barricades were placed around vulnerable bridges, ferry services across Chilika Lake were suspended until 25 September, and movement on key ghat roads was restricted. Schools and Anganwadi centres across several districts, including Khurda, Ganjam, Gajapati, and Malkangiri, were ordered closed for Thursday.

Current conditions across eastern regions

By 11:30 am on Thursday, the deep depression lay centred over north coastal Andhra Pradesh and adjoining south Odisha. The storm was located roughly 70 km west-northwest of Kalingapatnam, 80 km south-southeast of Rayagada, and 90 km east-southeast of Koraput, moving northwestwards at a speed of 7 km/h. Though moving inland, the system continues to trigger heavy precipitation across a wide footprint. Rain and thunderstorm warnings have extended as far as Bihar, where 38 districts face alerts, including Patna, Samastipur, and Begusarai. In Odisha, local weather centres issued orange alerts for districts such as Nuaparha, Kandhamal, Kalahandi, Balangir, and Nabarangpur for thunderstorms and strong winds, while a broader yellow alert covered the rest of the state until 1:00 pm.

What to expect in the coming hours

Meteorologists expect the weather system to lose strength as it travels further over land. The India Meteorological Department forecasts that the deep depression will weaken gradually into a standard depression by Thursday evening. It will then continue moving north-northwestwards, weakening further over the subsequent 24 hours. Despite this gradual decay, the threat of localized flooding and landslides remains elevated. Red rain alerts remain active through 24 and 25 September for several southern and interior Odisha districts, including Kalahandi, Nabarangpur, Koraput, and Malkangiri. Eleven district collectors remain on high alert as authorities maintain cyclone shelters and relief supplies until conditions fully stabilize.