Cyclone Murasu to hit Andhra tonight; rain alerts in 5 states

Severe Cyclonic Storm Murasu is set to cross the south Andhra Pradesh coast late on Monday, November 2, or in the early hours of Tuesday, November 3, bringing heavy rain to at least five states. Chennai is already waterlogged in places, Telangana is under rain alerts, and Odisha has begun moving people out of vulnerable areas.

According to Press Trust of India (PTI), the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the storm is likely to cross between Nellore and Narsapur, close to Ongole, between 11.30 pm on Monday and 4 am on Tuesday. Wind speed at landfall is expected to be 100-110 kmph, gusting to 120 kmph. In its latest bulletin, the IMD placed the storm about 200 km east-northeast of Chennai and about 220 km east-southeast of Kavali, moving at 25 kmph.

Telangana on alert

Heavy rain is forecast in Telangana from November 2 to 4, with extremely heavy rain possible at some places on November 3. Orange alerts have been issued for Khammam, Nalgonda, Suryapet, Mahabubnagar, Nagarkurnool and Wanaparthy districts. Yellow alerts are in place for Jangaon, Yadadri Bhuvanagiri, Rangareddy, Hyderabad and Medchal-Malkajgiri.

Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Chhattisgarh

Coastal Andhra Pradesh is likely to get heavy to very heavy rain on November 2 and 3, with extremely heavy rain at a few places. Schools and colleges have been shut in NTR, Palnadu, Nellore and Gudur districts, and some institutions may be used as cyclone shelters.

In Tamil Nadu, Chennai, Chengalpattu and Tiruvallur districts have been getting torrential rain since Sunday night. Madhavaram recorded 11 cm of rain in 24 hours, while Ennore Port and Nungambakkam each recorded 10 cm. The IMD has issued an orange alert for Chennai, which denotes very heavy rainfall of 11 to 20 cm, and schools in the city were given a holiday. Chennai airport authorities said certain flights have been cancelled.

Greater Chennai Corporation Commissioner G S Sameeran said there is no major flooding, but “some minor water stagnation” in certain areas. Two of the city’s 22 subways faced minor waterlogging, which was cleared, he said.

South Chhattisgarh is expected to get heavy rain on November 2 and very heavy rain on November 3 and 4. Rain is likely to continue over parts of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha and Chhattisgarh till November 4, even as the system weakens.

Odisha steps up evacuation

Odisha Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said the storm will hit several parts of the state even though landfall is along the Andhra coast. The southern districts of Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput and Malkangiri are most likely to be affected. All district collectors have been put on alert and the southern districts on high alert.

More than 300 rescue teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) and Odisha Fire Service have been pre-positioned. Pujari said teams deployed during Cyclone Arnab remain in the same places. Schools in Malkangiri district are shut from November 2 to 4. The IMD expects heavy rain in Gajapati and Ganjam on Monday, along with thunderstorms and gusty winds of 40-50 kmph, with intensity rising on November 3 and 4.

What is Murasu

The name Murasu means “war drum” and was contributed by India under the regional cyclone-naming system. The system began as a low-pressure area over the southeast Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea. It became a depression on October 31, a deep depression early on November 1, and Cyclonic Storm Murasu at 11.30 am the same day. It turned into a severe cyclonic storm in the early hours of Monday.

The IMD expects it to weaken into a cyclonic storm by Tuesday morning and into a deep depression by late Tuesday. It is forecast to become a depression by Wednesday morning. Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the Bay of Bengal or along the Andhra Pradesh, north Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts.

Coming after Arnab

Murasu comes barely a week after Cyclone Arnab. That storm crossed the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam, near Kakinada, on Wednesday, October 28, as a very severe cyclonic storm. Its winds were 125-135 kmph, gusting to 150 kmph. More than 1.8 lakh people were evacuated in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha ahead of landfall. Odisha has since reported six deaths from the cyclone and the floods and landslides that followed, with 10 people still missing, according to media reports.

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