Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu on alert as Cyclone Murasu approaches landfall
Severe cyclonic storm Murasu is expected to cross the Andhra Pradesh coast between Nellore and Narasapur by early November 3.
Severe cyclonic storm Murasu is expected to make landfall on the Andhra Pradesh coast between Nellore and Narasapur during the night of November 2 or the early hours of November 3, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The system is forecast to bring wind speeds of 100 to 110 kmph, gusting up to 120 kmph.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has directed officials to prepare for relief and rescue operations. Prakhar Jain, managing director of the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority, told Reuters that approximately 2,000 people have been evacuated, with plans to evacuate 30,000 people.
According to reports from Hindustan Times and BusinessLine, three National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams comprising 90 personnel have been deployed from Arakkonam to assist in Nellore, Prakasam, and Markapuram. Additionally, Tamil Nadu Electricity Minister R Nirmal Kumar said 500 electricity department personnel have been sent to Andhra Pradesh to help restore power.
In Tamil Nadu, the IMD has issued an orange alert for Chennai, where schools were declared closed on Monday. The state has also instructed district collectors to mobilise administrative machinery and maintain vigilance.
Odisha disaster management Minister Suresh Pujari stated the state is prepared and has issued orders to evacuate people from low-lying and hilly areas in the southern region. The state is recovering from Cyclone Arnab, which caused six deaths in Odisha, including two bodies recovered from a landslide-hit village near the Ganjam and Kandhamal border.
The IMD has also issued alerts for Telangana, forecasting heavy to very heavy rain on November 2 and 3, with a red alert for two districts and an orange alert for three districts on November 3.