Cyclone Murasu closes in: Red alert in 5 Andhra Pradesh districts ahead of midnight landfall
New Delhi: The Andhra Pradesh government has sounded an alert across five key districts as severe cyclonic storm Murasu edges closer to the coast. Bapatla, Palnadu, Markapuram, SPSR Nellore, and Prakasam are on high alert, with the storm expected to cross the coast between Ongole and Nellore during the intervening night of November 2 and 3.
The weather system is forecast to bring very heavy to extremely heavy downpours, offering much-needed relief to districts that recorded a rain deficit this monsoon, though officials remain cautious about local flooding.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the severe storm is tracking toward the coast at around 12 kmph. As of Monday evening, the system was positioned about 80 km east-northeast of Nellore, 80 km east-southeast of Kavali, 110 km southeast of Ongole, and 140 km south of Bapatla. Gale winds ranging from 70 to 90 kmph, gusting up to 100 kmph, have already started sweeping coastal stretches, with a tidal storm surge anticipated north of the landfall zone.
While northern Andhra Pradesh saw light to moderate showers, the central, south-coastal, and Rayalaseema belts remained largely dry until 7:00 pm on Monday. Authorities pointed out that Murasu is expected to be less intense than last week’s Cyclone Arnab, allowing the state administration to concentrate on managing water inflows and reservoir levels.
Wind speeds and safety precautions along the coast
The IMD said the storm is likely to move with a “wind speed of 100 to 110 kmph (and) gusting up to 120 kmph between Nellore and Narasapur”. Disaster response teams remain stationed in vulnerable spots, keeping close track of the storm’s trajectory to coordinate swift relief and rescue if necessary.
Neighbouring states feel the impact
Neighbouring states have also felt the outer influence of the weather system. Heavy showers hit the northern border districts of Tamil Nadu from Sunday evening, causing waterlogging in parts of north Chennai.
In response, the Regional Meteorological Centre upgraded alerts for Chennai and Tiruvallur, warning of squally winds reaching up to 75 kmph through Tuesday morning across Chennai and Kancheepuram. Meanwhile, in Odisha, still recovering from the devastation caused by Cyclone Arnab, the state administration evacuated 1.6 lakh people from Ganjam, Gajapati, Malkangiri, Koraput, and Kandhamal to cyclone shelters as a precaution.