Coastal Ports Raise Signal as Cyclone Arnab Gains Strength Far South of Bangladesh

The Bangladesh Meteorological Department has upgraded its warning for the country's seaports after cyclonic storm Arnab intensified into a severe system over the west-central Bay of Bengal. Early on Tuesday the department advised the ports of Chattogram, Cox's Bazar, Mongla and Payra to hoist and maintain Local Cautionary Signal Number 3, citing very rough seas and strengthening winds around the storm's centre.

At the time of the latest special bulletin the system was located near 15.8 degrees north latitude and 85.6 degrees east longitude. That position placed it roughly 990 kilometres southwest of Chattogram, 945 kilometres southwest of Cox's Bazar and about 865 kilometres south of both Mongla and Payra. Maximum sustained winds within 64 kilometres of the centre had reached approximately 118 kilometres per hour, with gusts and squalls capable of climbing to 150 kilometres per hour. The sea was reported to be very rough in the immediate vicinity of the storm.

Meteorologists expect Arnab to continue moving in a general west-northwest direction and to make landfall along the Andhra Pradesh coast of India on or around 28 October as a very severe cyclonic storm. Because the projected track keeps the strongest winds and highest seas well south of Bangladesh, the country is not expected to experience a direct hit. Even so, the outer circulation can still generate elevated wave heights, occasional heavy showers in isolated coastal pockets and stronger-than-usual winds if the bands brush the shoreline.

All fishing boats and trawlers operating in the northern Bay of Bengal have been instructed to remain close to the coast and proceed with extreme caution until further notice. Port authorities, the Coast Guard and local administration have been asked to ensure that small vessels heed the advisory and that any craft already at sea return or take shelter as conditions permit. No large-scale evacuation order has been issued for Bangladesh at this stage, but disaster-management officials have reminded residents in low-lying coastal areas to stay tuned to successive official bulletins.

Arnab is the first cyclonic storm of the post-monsoon season to form over the Bay of Bengal this year. It began as a deep depression over the east-central Bay before steadily organising and gaining intensity while tracking westward. The naming of the system followed the regional list prepared by countries bordering the Bay, with Bangladesh having proposed the name Arnab. Weather services across the region are monitoring the storm's continued development, noting that small shifts in track or intensity remain possible over the next 24 to 36 hours.

Once the system moves farther west and begins to weaken after landfall on the Indian coast, the cautionary signal for Bangladeshi ports is expected to be lowered. Until that time the combination of high winds and rough seas constitutes the main hazard for marine activity. Officials stress that early compliance with the fishing-boat advisory and the port signal remains the most practical way to reduce risk while Arnab continues its passage across the Bay. Further updates will be issued as the storm's position and strength evolve.