Days after Cyclone Arnab wreaked havoc in Andhra Pradesh, the state is preparing for another cyclone. Murasu, which formed over the Bay of Bengal, is moving towards the coast and is expected to strengthen into a Severe Cyclonic Storm by Monday morning, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Sunday (Nov 1).
The storm has already prompted a weather alert for Andhra Pradesh and adjoining north Tamil Nadu, with heavy rainfall expected across several districts. The state disaster management authority has also warned fishermen to stay away from the sea.
When and where will Cyclone Murasu make landfall?
Cyclone Murasu is expected to make landfall between Nellore and Narsapuram on the Andhra Pradesh coast around midnight on November 2, or in the early hours of November 3, the IMD said.
The storm is likely to strengthen into a Severe Cyclonic Storm before reaching the coast, bringing winds of 100-110 kmph and gusts of up to 120 kmph.
In its latest update on Sunday (Nov 1) evening, the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA) said Murasu had moved at 27 kmph over the previous six hours. The storm was then centred around 480 km from Chennai, 550 km from Nellore and 560 km from Machilipatnam.
Heavy rainfall alert across several Andhra Pradesh districts
The IMD has warned of heavy to very heavy rainfall across South Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema over the next three days. Some places are likely to receive extremely heavy rain on Monday as Cyclone Murasu moves closer to the coast.
The warning covers Krishna, Guntur, Bapatla, Prakasam, Markapuram and Nellore districts. Heavy rainfall is also expected in Eluru, East Godavari, West Godavari, NTR, Palnadu, Tirupati and Chittoor. Other districts on the alert include Alluri Sitharama Raju, Polavaram, Kakinada, Konaseema, Nandyal, YSR Kadapa and Annamayya.
Disaster response teams deployed
Fishermen have been strictly advised against venturing into the sea. Six NDRF and seven SDRF teams have been positioned in the state to carry out rescue and relief operations if required.
The latest warning comes barely days after Cyclone Arnab hit the Andhra Pradesh coast near Odalarevu on October 29. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu had put the preliminary damage caused by the storm at ₹4,600 crore. With Murasu now approaching, the state faces another spell of severe weather while dealing with the losses left by Arnab.