Cyclone Murasu crosses Andhra Pradesh coast near Ongole with 120 kmph winds
The severe cyclonic storm made landfall on Tuesday morning, bringing heavy rain and strong winds to several southern districts.
Severe cyclonic storm Murasu crossed the southern Andhra Pradesh coast near Ongole in the early hours of Tuesday, November 3, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The landfall process, which occurred between Nellore and Narsapur, saw wind speeds of 100–110 kmph with gusts reaching 120 kmph, reported by South First.
The storm moved north-northwestwards and was expected to weaken into a cyclonic storm by noon, according to the IMD. By midnight on Tuesday, it was forecast to further weaken into a deep depression with wind speeds of 55–65 kmph and gusts up to 75 kmph.
Strong winds in the coastal region uprooted trees and electric poles, and a statue of Andhra Kesari Tanguturi Prakasam Pantulu collapsed in Ongole after a tree fell on it. No casualties have been reported so far, South First stated.
Prakhar Jain, Managing Director of the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) and CEO of the Real Time Governance Society (RTGS), said isolated heavy rainfall was likely in West Godavari, Eluru, Krishna, NTR, and Guntur districts. Similar conditions were expected in Bapatla, Palnadu, Markapuram, Prakasam, and Nellore districts, The Hawk reported.
Authorities warned that rain in the catchment areas of the Nagarjuna Sagar and Pulichintala projects could cause flood inflows of approximately 13 to 15 TMC. Six NDRF and seven SDRF teams were placed on standby as the state government monitored the situation.