Cyclone Arnab in Bay of Bengal to bring five days of rain to Maharashtra, alerts in several districts

Though October is nearly over, Maharashtra continues to swelter in sunshine. Rain clouds are now beginning to gather, however. Cyclone Arnab, which has formed in the Bay of Bengal, may change the weather in the state. The India Meteorological Department has forecast rain in different districts of the state for the next few days from Tuesday. Some places may get light showers, while some districts may see moderate rain and thunderstorms. A heavy rain warning has been issued specifically for Gadchiroli district.

Maximum temperatures have crossed 35 degrees Celsius in many parts of the state, leaving people to endure the heat. Sunny, harsh conditions are expected to continue on Monday as well. But the department says conditions for rain will build in some areas from Tuesday.

Cyclone Arnab was 610 km from Gopalpur in Odisha and 650 km from Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. It is expected to intensify until October 26 and could become a very severe cyclonic storm on October 27.

On Tuesday, moderate rain is likely in Yavatmal, Chandrapur and Gadchiroli districts. People in these parts of Vidarbha should keep a watch on the change in weather.

On Wednesday, a heavy rain warning is in place for Gadchiroli. Thunderstorms are also forecast in Gondia, Chandrapur, Nagpur, Wardha, Yavatmal, Nanded, Hingoli, Kolhapur and the Kolhapur ghat area. Light showers with thunder may also occur in places in Parbhani, Dharashiv, Latur, Jalna, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jalgaon, Nashik, the Nashik ghat area, the Pune ghat area, Solapur, Satara, Sangli, the Satara ghat area, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts.

On Thursday, thunderstorms are forecast in Gondia, Bhandara, Gadchiroli, Wardha, Amravati, Nagpur, Jalna, Nashik, the Nashik ghat area, the Pune ghat area, Ratnagiri and the Satara ghat area. Light showers are likely in Parbhani, Beed, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Solapur, Ahilyanagar, Jalgaon, Dhule, Nandurbar, Palghar, Thane, Mumbai, Raigad, Sindhudurg, Pune, Satara, Sangli and Kolhapur districts. This means the weather change may be felt in Marathwada, North Maharashtra, Western Maharashtra, the Konkan and the Mumbai metropolitan region as well.

On Friday, thunderstorms are forecast in Ahilyanagar and the Nashik ghat area. Light showers may fall in Parbhani, Jalna, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Beed, Solapur, Jalgaon, Nandurbar, Dhule, Sangli, Satara, Pune, Kolhapur and Raigad districts. Light rain is also forecast in the Pune ghat, Satara ghat and Kolhapur ghat areas. Thus, rain conditions may vary across different parts of the state over the next few days.

Cyclone Arnab is expected to hit the Andhra Pradesh coast on October 28. Wind speeds could then reach 115 to 125 km per hour, with gusts of up to 140 km per hour. In view of the danger, a red alert has been issued for the coasts of Andhra Pradesh and southern Odisha.

The weather may change further depending on the cyclone's intensity and any change in its path. In Maharashtra, thunderstorms are likely in some places and light showers in some districts over the next five days. People should keep track of the latest advisories from the meteorological department. In areas where stormy rain is forecast, people should avoid staying out in the open when lightning strikes.