Cyclone Murasu threatens southern Odisha with heavy rain
The India Meteorological Department has issued an orange warning for five southern districts as the storm approaches the Andhra Pradesh coast.
Cyclone Murasu formed over the Bay of Bengal on Sunday, prompting the Odisha government to increase preparedness in the southern region, according to reports by Deccan Chronicle, Hindustan Times and The Hindu.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) stated the system is expected to intensify into a severe or very severe cyclonic storm. It is projected to cross the Andhra Pradesh coast between Nellore and Narasapur by the morning of November 3, with wind speeds reaching 100-110 kmph and gusts up to 120 kmph.
Manorama Mohanty, director of the meteorological centre in Bhubaneswar, said rainfall in Odisha will begin on November 2, with intensity increasing on November 3 and November 4. The IMD has issued an orange warning for Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput and Malkangiri districts for heavy to very heavy rain on November 3 and 4.
Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said the state has announced a high alert in the south and ordered evacuations from hilly areas and low-lying regions. Special Relief Commissioner Rajesh P Patil noted that officials are managing relief for those affected by Cyclone Arnab while preparing for Murasu.
The state is also addressing landslide risks in Gajapati, where 150 prone locations have been identified. Patil said Cyclone Arnab and subsequent floods had already impacted 1.18 lakh people, damaged 1,672 houses and affected 75,388 hectares of crops.