Cyclone Murasu makes landfall on Andhra Pradesh coast with high winds
Severe cyclonic storm Murasu hit the coast with wind speeds of 110 kmph and heavy rainfall across several districts.
Severe cyclonic storm Murasu began making landfall along the south Andhra Pradesh coast around 1 am on Tuesday, November 3, according to The News Mill. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported that the cyclone crossed the coast with wind speeds between 100 and 110 kmph, gusting up to 120 kmph.
The storm is expected to move north-north-westwards and may weaken into a cyclonic storm this afternoon, before becoming a deep depression by midnight. IMD Director General Dr Mrutyunjay Mahapatra stated that the system could become a depression over north coastal Andhra Pradesh by tomorrow morning. He noted that some areas have already recorded rainfall as high as 22 centimetres.
The cyclone has caused significant disruptions, with 19 domestic flights cancelled across Vijayawada, Tirupati, and Visakhapatnam airports. On the Vijayawada-Ongole-Gudur railway route, 29 trains have been affected, including 19 UP and 10 DOWN trains under regulation, according to Vijayawada Division PRO Nusrat M. Mandrupkar.
Three National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams, comprising 90 personnel, have been deployed to Nellore, Prakasam, and Markapuram for rescue and relief operations. In Odisha, the government has placed southern districts including Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput, and Malkangiri on high alert, with over 300 rescue teams positioned in vulnerable areas.
In Tamil Nadu, Chennai schools were closed as the state experienced rainfall, with Madhavaram recording 11cm of rain in the past 24 hours. The system remains under continuous surveillance by Doppler Weather Radars located at Machilipatnam, Visakhapatnam, and Chennai.