Pawan Kalyan orders high alert as Cyclone Murasu nears Andhra coast
The Deputy Chief Minister directed officials to evacuate residents from low-lying areas as the storm approaches the Nellore coast.
Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan has instructed officials to remain on high alert as Cyclone Murasu approaches the Andhra Pradesh coast, according to The Hindu. The directive was issued during a review meeting on Monday with senior officials from the Panchayat Raj and Rural Development and Rural Water Supply Departments.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of extremely heavy rain in the Nellore, Prakasam, Markapuram, Bapatla, and Krishna districts. Mr. Kalyan called for the movement of people from low-lying regions to safer spots to prevent loss of life and minimise hardship.
The cyclone is expected to make landfall near Nellore between late November 2 and the early hours of November 3. Officials noted that while the storm was initially predicted to cross between Bapatla and Machilipatnam, it has since changed course.
The IMD reported that the storm was centred approximately 290 km east-southeast of Nellore at 2.30am on November 2. The system is expected to bring winds of 100-110 kmph, with gusts potentially reaching 120 kmph.
Heavy rain is already affecting Nellore, Prakasam, Bapatla, Tirupati, and Markapuram districts. To manage the situation, six National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and seven State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams have been placed on standby.