Severe cyclonic storm Murasu nears Andhra Pradesh coast
The storm is expected to make landfall near Ongole with wind speeds of up to 110 kmph by Tuesday morning.
Severe cyclonic storm Murasu intensified in the Bay of Bengal on Monday and is expected to cross the south Andhra Pradesh coast near Ongole between midnight on November 2 and the early hours of November 3, according to reports by The Indian Express and The Hindu.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) stated the storm is moving northwestwards with sustained wind speeds of 100 to 110 kmph, gusting to 120 kmph. As of Monday morning, the system was moving at 22 kmph and was located between east-southeast of Nellore and northeast of Chennai.
Heavy rainfall has already impacted northern Tamil Nadu. In Chennai, Madhavaram recorded 11 cm of rain over 24 hours, while Ennore Port and Nungambakkam each logged 10 cm. The Greater Chennai Corporation reported that Parrys received 149.2 mm of rainfall in the 24 hours ending at 6 am on Monday.
The IMD has issued an orange alert for Chennai, predicting very heavy rainfall between 11 and 20 cm. In Andhra Pradesh, red alerts have been sounded for five districts, including Eluru, Krishna, Guntur, Bapatla, and SPSR Nellore.
Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority managing director Prakhar Jain said approximately 2,000 people have been evacuated, with plans to evacuate 30,000 people. Three teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed from Tamil Nadu to Andhra Pradesh for relief operations.
Flight operations in Visakhapatnam have been impacted, with IndiGo issuing a travel advisory regarding delays. In Chennai, authorities have cancelled certain flights due to adverse weather conditions.