VISAKHAPATNAM: Cyclone ‘Murasu’ has entered the coastal region of India’s Andhra Pradesh. The cyclone, which started hitting the coastal region around 1 AM on Monday, is causing strong winds and heavy rainfall.
According to the Indian Meteorological Department, the cyclone has made landfall between Nellore and Narsapur in Andhra Pradesh. Due to the cyclone, winds are blowing at a speed of 100 to 110 kilometers per hour in the coastal region. The cyclone is estimated to cross the coastal region of Andhra Pradesh in the next few hours.
In view of the risk of the cyclone, Visakhapatnam Port has been placed under a high-level Signal 9 storm warning as Severe Cyclonic Storm Murasu batters the Andhra Pradesh coastline.
While the core landfall occurred further south near Ongole in the Prakasam district, the northern peripheral impact on Visakhapatnam Port has significantly disrupted regional maritime operations and logistics.
The Odisha government has evacuated more than 160,000 people from Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput, and Malkangiri districts to safe places.
Air services have also been affected due to the cyclone. 19 flights operating from three airports in Andhra Pradesh have been canceled, while 11 flights from Chennai airport have been postponed.
To protect citizens from potential risks, 37 teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed in five states of India. Of these, 13 teams are stationed in Andhra Pradesh. Additional security personnel have been deployed in Nellore, Prakasam, and Markapuram areas of Andhra Pradesh for rescue and relief operations.
The impact of the cyclone has also been seen in Tamil Nadu. In Chennai, Madhavaram area received the highest rainfall of 11 centimeters in the last 24 hours. 10 centimeters of rain each was measured at Ennore Port and Nungambakkam. Due to waterlogging, two of the city’s 22 subways have been filled with water.
Heavy rainfall is also occurring in the Puri region of Odisha, and large waves are rising in the sea. Rescue teams have been kept on standby in Rayagada district. More than 300 rescue teams from NDRF, Odisha Disaster Response Force, and Fire Services have been deployed.
‘Murasu’, which means ‘war drum’ in the Tamil language, was named by India. This system, which took the form of a cyclone in the Bay of Bengal on November 1, turned into a severe cyclonic storm within 24 hours.
This is the second cyclone developed in the Bay of Bengal within a week. Earlier, cyclone ‘Arnab’, which occurred on October 28, caused significant damage in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. Six people died and more than 57,000 people were evacuated to safe places due to that cyclone.
The Indian Meteorological Department has estimated that the impact of Cyclone ‘Murasu’ may be seen in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Telangana, Karnataka, and Maharashtra.
