Andhra Pradesh braces for severe cyclonic storm Murasu
The cyclone is expected to reach the south Andhra Pradesh coast by Tuesday morning with wind speeds up to 120 kmph.
Andhra Pradesh is expected to encounter a severe cyclonic storm within two days, according to a bulletin from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported by Deccan Chronicle on Saturday evening.
The system, currently a depression over the southeast Bay of Bengal and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, has been moving west-northwest at 30 kmph. It is projected to intensify into a deep depression by Saturday midnight and become a cyclonic storm on Sunday.
The storm, which is expected to be named Murasu, may turn into a severe cyclonic storm over the west central Bay of Bengal on Monday. It is likely to reach the south Andhra Pradesh coast by the early hours of Tuesday, November 3.
The cyclone is forecast to cross the coast between Nellore and Narsapur on Tuesday morning with wind speeds of 100 kmph to 110 kmph, gusting to 120 kmph. Heavy to very heavy rainfall is predicted for Krishna, Guntur, NTR, Palnadu, and Bapatla districts on Monday and Tuesday.
In Tamil Nadu, V R Durai, director of the Area Cyclone Warning Centre at the Regional Meteorological Centre in Chennai, said the outer rain bands could bring rain and thunderstorms to north coastal districts. Chennai may see light to moderate rain, thunderstorms, and lightning between November 1 and 3, with isolated heavy rain expected in Tiruvallur district.