Severe cyclonic storm Murasu likely to cross Andhra Pradesh coast tonight
The storm is expected to make landfall between Nellore and Narsapur with wind speeds reaching 120 kmph.
Severe cyclonic storm Murasu is expected to cross the south Andhra Pradesh coast between late Monday night and the early hours of Tuesday, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The storm is likely to make landfall near Ongole, between Nellore and Narsapur, with wind speeds of 100 to 110 kmph gusting up to 120 kmph, according to reports from Telangana Today and ANI.
The IMD stated that the storm was moving west-northwestwards at a speed of 25 kmph. As of Monday morning, the system was located near Latitude 13.9°N and Longitude 81.8°E, positioned approximately 200 km east-northeast of Chennai and 210 km east-southeast of Nellore.
Prakhar Jain, Managing Director and CEO of the Real Time Governance Society, said that South Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema should expect significant rainfall on Monday and Tuesday. He noted that while some areas may see extremely heavy rain, other districts including Eluru, Guntur, and Tirupati are likely to experience very heavy rainfall.
In response to the warning, the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority has advised citizens to remain alert. Six National Disaster Response Force teams and seven State Disaster Response Force teams have been deployed for rescue operations, according to Telangana Today.
Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has requested assistance from the Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka to help restore electricity infrastructure. Both leaders have reportedly agreed to provide support to Andhra Pradesh as the state prepares for the storm's impact.