Bay of Bengal Depression Intensifies: What Odisha and Andhra Pradesh Can Expect Next
The system is most likely to reach the shores of north Andhra Pradesh and south Odisha.
By Sakshi
New Delhi, September 22: The India Meteorological Department stated on Tuesday that a meteorological system in the Bay of Bengal is moving forward, getting stronger, and is likely to cross the Andhra Pradesh-Odisha coast shortly.
The IMD said in a post on X at around 11:45 am on Monday that a depression over the west-central and adjoining northwest Bay of Bengal is likely to intensify into a deep depression soon.
"The Depression over Westcentral & adjoining Northwest Bay of Bengal moved westwards with a speed of 18 kmph during the past 06 hours and lay centred at 0830 hrs IST of today, the 22nd September, 2026, 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)," the IMD stated on X.
The IMD stated, "It is very likely to move west-northwestwards and intensify into a deep depression over Westcentral & adjoining Northwest Bay of Bengal during the next 12 hours." The system is forecast to continue moving in that direction.
According to the IMD, the system is most likely to reach the shores of north Andhra Pradesh and south Odisha between Visakhapatnam and Gopalpur as a deep depression during the night of September 23 and the early hours of September 24, Wednesday and Thursday.
The next cyclone to emerge in the North Indian Ocean will be called Arnab, according to the roster used to name cyclonic storms.
Bangladesh added the name Arnab, which translates to "ocean" in Bengali, to the list of regional tropical cyclone names maintained by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
Schools in Odisha are closed
Due to an IMD forecast of a severe depression over the Bay of Bengal that is expected to bring heavy rainfall to the state over the next two days, schools and Anganwadi centres in four districts of Odisha were declared shut.
According to estimates, winds of 55-65 kmph are predicted from Tuesday evening, and some locations may receive up to 20 cm of rain.
IMD scientists cautioned that the intense rains could raise river levels and result in flooding in low-lying regions, especially in areas that have already experienced prolonged rainfall.
In Khurda district, all schools were asked to remain shut from Tuesday to Thursday as a precautionary measure, while in Ganjam district, the district administration ordered the closure of all government, government-aided and private schools for the same period.
The district administration of Jagatsinghpur has declared that all schools and Anganwadi centres will be closed on Tuesday. Schools and Anganwadi centres in Gajapati will be closed from Tuesday to Thursday. The order covers both public and private institutions.
