New Delhi, 29 October (H.S.): Cyclone Arnab weakened into a deep depression over north coastal Andhra Pradesh and adjoining areas on Wednesday night and is likely to weaken further into a depression by Thursday morning and a well-marked low-pressure area by evening, according to the India Meteorological Department's (IMD) National Bulletin No. 30 (BOB/08/2026), issued at 0300 hours IST on October 29.

The system moved nearly northwards at a speed of 15 kmph during the six hours preceding the bulletin and was centred at 2330 hours IST on Wednesday near latitude 17.8 degrees north and longitude 81.8 degrees east. It lay about 60 km south of Malkangiri in Odisha, 90 km west-southwest of Paderu in Andhra Pradesh, 140 km south of Jagdalpur in Chhattisgarh and 190 km east-northeast of Khammam in Telangana.

According to the IMD's forecast, the system was expected to move northwards and weaken into a depression by 0530 hours IST on Thursday, with maximum sustained wind speeds of 45-55 kmph and gusts up to 65 kmph. By 1130 hours, wind speeds were forecast to decrease to 40-50 kmph, gusting to 60 kmph. The system was expected to weaken into a well-marked low-pressure area by 1730 hours, with winds of 25-35 kmph and gusts up to 45 kmph.

The system was under continuous surveillance by Doppler Weather Radars at Gopalpur, Raipur and Sambalpur.

The IMD forecast isolated heavy rainfall over north coastal Andhra Pradesh and interior Odisha on Thursday. North Chhattisgarh was likely to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places, while isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall was forecast over Jharkhand. Bihar was likely to receive light to moderate rainfall at many places, with heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places on October 29 and 30.

Coastal districts of Gangetic West Bengal were also likely to receive heavy rainfall at isolated places on Thursday. Heavy rainfall was forecast at isolated places over Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim on October 29 and 30. Eastern Vidarbha was likely to receive isolated heavy rainfall on Thursday, while East Madhya Pradesh was forecast to experience heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places on October 29, followed by heavy rainfall on October 30. Isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall was also forecast over East Uttar Pradesh on Thursday, with heavy rainfall likely over parts of northeast Uttar Pradesh on October 30 and isolated heavy rainfall on October 31.

Squally winds of 50-60 kmph, gusting to 70 kmph, were forecast over Anakapalli, Visakhapatnam, Kakinada, East Godavari, West Godavari, Konaseema, Krishna and Bapatla districts until Thursday morning, followed by a gradual decrease.

Similar wind conditions were forecast over southern Odisha, southern Chhattisgarh and adjoining districts of northeastern Telangana until Thursday noon. The affected areas included Ganjam, Gajapati, Nabarangpur, Rayagada, Koraput and Malkangiri in Odisha; Sukma, Dantewada, Bijapur and Bastar in Chhattisgarh; and Khammam, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Mulugu and Mahabubabad in Telangana.

The IMD advised fishermen not to venture into the west-central Bay of Bengal and along and off the Andhra Pradesh-Odisha coasts until Thursday noon. The restriction also covered the northwest Bay of Bengal and areas along and off the West Bengal coast.

The bulletin warned of possible flooding and waterlogging in low-lying areas, damage to standing crops and horticultural plantations, and disruption to road traffic in affected regions. It advised authorities to regulate road and rail traffic where necessary and urged people in vulnerable areas to remain indoors and follow local advisories.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Indrani Sarkar