The city of lakes is set for a cloudy and cooler Thursday as the weakened remnants of Cyclone Arnab move northwards over land. The storm completed landfall on Wednesday morning between 2 am and 8 am along the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts, with sustained winds of 125 to 135 kmph gusting to 150 kmph. By 8:30 am, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) downgraded it from a very severe cyclonic storm to a severe cyclonic storm.

 

After landfall, the system is expected to move northwards and northeastwards, bringing rain to Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, eastern Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh before gradually weakening further. For Bhopal, the threat is now from its weakened remnants, not the cyclone itself, which is why the city is forecast for scattered showers and possible thunderstorms, not very heavy rain. Bhopal will remain largely overcast through the day. Forecasts differ slightly by model, with the maximum temperature forecast between 260 C and 290 C and the minimum between 190 C and 220 C, making it noticeably cooler than the start of the week.

 

Early morning will begin cloudy at around 210 C, with mostly cloudy skies continuing through the afternoon. a high of 280 C and low of 200 C with light rain. One model puts the chance of rain at 64% during the day, so residents are advised to carry an umbrella and avoid open fields, trees and metal structures during lightning. The afternoon is most likely to see rain showers. Sunrise will be at 6:23-6:24 am and sunset at 5:44 pm.

 

Karwa Chauth that falls on Thursday, October 29 this year will see a late moonrise in Bhopal at around 8:26 pm. However, IMD says cloudy skies are likely over western Madhya Pradesh, including Bhopal, so moon sighting may be delayed further. While eastern Madhya Pradesh faces heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places on October 29, Bhopal is likely to see scattered showers rather than a continuous downpour. The weather is likely to remain unsettled on October 30 and 31 as well. Residents are advised to follow the latest IMD bulletins before planning travel or evening plans.