A deep depression has formed over the west-central and adjoining northwest Bay of Bengal, prompting Bangladesh’s Meteorological Department (BMD) to advise the country’s four maritime ports to hoist cautionary signals as the system brings rough seas and gusty winds to the region.
Current Position And Motion
According to the latest bulletin, at 0530 hours IST of September 23, 2026, the deep depression lay centred near latitude 18.0°N and longitude 84.7°E and was moving westwards at a speed of about 12 kmph. The system is moving northwards toward the north Andhra Pradesh-south Odisha coast and is expected to cross between Visakhapatnam and Gopalpur, near Kalingapatnam, by nite of September 23.
Ports in Bangladesh on alert
In reply, maritime ports of Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Mongla and Payra have been advised to keep Local Cautionary Signal No. 3 hoisted warning gusty winds sweeping across the seaports, the north Bay of Bengal and adjoining coastal areas. Maximum sustained winds are near 50 kph within 48 km of the center of the depression, increasing to 60 kph in gusts and squalls. The sea is rough near the center of the system. The warning signal no. 1 has also been advised to be displayed at the river ports of Khulna, Barishal, Patuakhali, Cumilla, Noakhali, Chattogram and Cox’s Bazar as the temporary gusty or squally winds of 45 to 60 kph accompanied with rain or thundershowers are expected in these regions.
Anticipated Impact Across Bangladesh
Light to moderate rain or thunder showers are predicted across the Rajshahi, Khulna, Barishal and Sylhet divisions, with some parts of the Rangpur, Dhaka, Mymensingh and Chattogram divisions also expected to experience showers. Slight drop in daytime and nite temperatures across the country; parts of the country may experience moderate to very heavy rainfall. All fishing boats and trawlers in the northern Bay of Bengal have been advised to stay close to the coast and to proceed with caution till further notice.
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A Potential Tropical Storm
Meteorologists say they do not expect the system to develop into a full cyclone at this stage, but if it does intensify it would be called Cyclone Arnab, a name supplied by Bangladesh to the regional cyclone naming list kept by the World Meteorological Organization and the India Meteorological Department. Arnab is “sea” in Bengali. According to the latest update, the system is still a deep depression, and not a cyclonic storm.
What Comes Next?
Authorities in India’s Odisha and Andhra Pradesh have closed schools and deployed emergency response teams as a precaution ahead of the system’s expected landfall. The BMD said it continues to closely monitor the depression and will issue further updates as the situation develops and the system’s influence on the rainfall over southern and southwestern parts of Bangladesh is likely to continue over the next few days.
