Cyclone Murasu weakens to cyclonic storm as it crosses Andhra coast
The system moved north-northwestwards with wind speeds of 80-90 kmph after making landfall near Ongole.
The Severe Cyclonic Storm Murasu weakened into a cyclonic storm at approximately 2.30 pm on Tuesday, November 3, according to a bulletin from the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The system was centred about 40 km west-northwest of Bapatla and 60 km north of Ongole, according to The Hindu.
The eye of the storm crossed the Andhra Pradesh coast at 5.30 am on Tuesday. The IMD reported maximum sustained wind speeds of 80-90 kmph, with gusts reaching 100 kmph. The storm is expected to continue moving north-northwestwards and may weaken into a deep depression by Tuesday night.
Heavy rainfall has been recorded across the state, with Konanki in Bapatla district recording 182.25 mm between 8.30 am and 2 pm. The Andhra Pradesh Directorate of Economics and Statistics (APDES) noted that 18 rain gauges in Bapatla, Palnadu, Guntur, Prakasam, and West Godavari districts crossed 100 mm.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has deployed 14 teams in Andhra Pradesh. National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) DIG Mohsen Shahedi stated that no casualties have been recorded in the state so far. Prakhar Jain, managing director of the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority, said around 2,000 people have been evacuated, with plans to evacuate 30,000 people.
In response to the cyclone, the Andhra Pradesh government’s Real Time Governance Society (RTGS) launched a grievance mechanism via the ‘Mana Mitra’ WhatsApp platform. Residents can report emergencies like power outages or waterlogging by messaging 9552300009.