Kolkata, Oct 28: Heavy rainfall, thunderstorms and elevated tides have prompted precautionary measures across parts of West Bengal as Cyclone Arnab disrupts air travel in Kolkata, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) warning of adverse weather in both south and north Bengal over the next two days. The forecast raises concerns over coastal safety and possible landslides in the northern hills, even as the cyclone’s impact on the state remains limited so far.
Three IndiGo flights scheduled to arrive at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata and two departing flights were cancelled because of the cyclonic system. The disruption comes as the cyclone makes landfall in Andhra Pradesh.
The IMD has forecast heavy rain on Wednesday in South 24 Parganas, East Midnapore, West Midnapore and Jhargram. Other districts in south Bengal are likely to receive light to moderate rainfall, while gusty winds of 30-40 kmph may affect most districts, including Kolkata.
In East Midnapore, scattered heavy showers occurred on Tuesday afternoon, while strong winds affected coastal areas, including Contai and Ramnagar, from Wednesday morning. Tidal levels in the Bay of Bengal have also remained significantly above normal, prompting authorities to intensify precautionary measures along vulnerable stretches of the coast.
Authorities have prohibited sea bathing as a safety measure and are using public address systems to alert people in coastal areas near Tajpur and Shankarpur. The measures come amid a combination of strong winds, rainfall and elevated tides along the coast.
The weather office has forecast thunderstorms across all south Bengal districts, including Kolkata, on Thursday. Conditions are expected to improve from Friday, although a yellow alert for thunderstorms will remain in force in East Burdwan, Birbhum, Murshidabad and Nadia.
North Bengal is also likely to experience unsettled weather. The IMD has forecast heavy rainfall in Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri on Thursday and Friday, while a yellow thunderstorm alert covers the remaining districts in the region.
The department has cautioned that persistent rainfall could trigger landslides in the hill areas of north Bengal, where prolonged wet weather can increase risks for communities and transport routes.
The forecast of heavy rain across the two regions, combined with coastal conditions and flight cancellations, makes the coming days important for residents and travellers monitoring weather-related disruptions. Although the cyclone’s effects on West Bengal have so far remained limited, the IMD’s alerts indicate that rainfall, thunderstorms and potential landslides remain the principal weather concerns.
