The very severe cyclonic storm “Arnab” is churning towards the coast of India’s Andhra Pradesh, packing wind speeds of up to 150km per hour.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the system is tracking further west-northwestwards and is expected to cross the Andhra and Yanam coasts between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam by Wednesday afternoon.
With the sea remaining very rough near the centre of the storm, the Bangladesh Meteorological Department has advised the maritime ports of Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Mongla, and Payra to hoist local cautionary signal No. 3.
A special weather bulletin said the cyclone was centred 1,130km south-west of Chittagong Port, 1,095km south-west of Cox’s Bazar, 965km south-west of Mongla, and 985km south-west of Payra at noon on Tuesday.
At that time, the maximum sustained wind speed within 64km of the cyclone centre was around 130 kmph, rising to 150 kmph in gusts or squalls.
Due to rough sea conditions, all fishing boats and trawlers in the North Bay have been advised to remain close to the coast and navigate with caution until further notice.
The IMD said maximum sustained wind speeds during landfall could reach 125 to 135 kmph, with gusts peaking at 150 kmph.
A storm surge of 1.5 to 2.5 metres above astronomical tide is likely to inundate low-lying areas of the Andhra coast.
While the likelihood of severe fallout across Bangladesh remains low, domestic forecasters have warned of widespread rain triggered by the storm.
The weather forecast indicates that rain or thundershowers are likely to occur in different areas across all eight divisions of the country on Wednesday.
Between Thursday and Saturday, widespread rainfall is expected in parts of the Rangpur and Rajshahi divisions.
Isolated spells of rain may also affect one or two places in other divisions, including Dhaka, Khulna, and Barishal, before the wet spell begins to ease.
Over the past 24 hours, the country's highest temperature was recorded at 36.8°C at Ambagan in Chattogram.
Measurable rainfall was confined to Bandarban, which logged 3 mm, while the rest of the country remained largely dry during this period.
Night temperatures are projected to remain largely unchanged on Tuesday, though daytime temperatures across the country could fall by 1°C to 2°C on Wednesday.