1. Strange Behaviour: Explosive Growth & Stalling

Arnab broke standard weather rules at every stage of its journey:

• Rapid Intensification: Starting as a weak low-pressure area on October 23, it exploded into a “very severe” cyclone within just 24 hours.
• Refusing to Weaken: Normally, storms lose power immediately upon hitting land due to ground friction. Unusually, Arnab stalled near Narsapur and Yanam, holding onto its fierce intensity for six full hours after making landfall.
• The Bay of Bengal Trap: Because the Bay is shaped like a funnel, enclosed on three sides, and has a shallow seabed near the coast, it naturally pushes massive storm surges deep inland.

2. How El Niño Altered the Path

• Shifting Southward: Normally, Bay of Bengal storms curve north toward Odisha and West Bengal. However, during El Niño years (when the Pacific Ocean warms up abnormally), cyclones tend to form closer to the equator and strike further south—hitting Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu instead.
• High-Octane Ocean Fuel: Unusually warm ocean waters (26°C or higher down to 100 metres) acted like rocket fuel, allowing Arnab to gather massive amounts of energy and move much faster than initial forecasts.

3. How Cyclones Get Their Names

• The 62 kmph Rule: A storm is officially named by the New Delhi weather centre the moment wind speeds cross 62 kmph.
• The 13-Nation List: Thirteen countries around the region take turns submitting names alphabetically. “Arnab” was proposed by Bangladesh. The next storm in line will be named “Murasu” (a Tamil word for drum), chosen by India.