Cyclone Murasu intensifies into severe cyclonic storm: IMD
What's the story
Cyclonic Storm Murasu has intensified into a Severe Cyclonic Storm over the West Central and Southwest Bay of Bengal. The India Meteorological Department(IMD) reported that at 2:30am on Monday, the storm was centered about 260km east-northeast of Chennai. The system is expected to move northwestward and cross the south Andhra Pradesh coast near Ongole as a severe cyclonic storm, with wind speeds of 100-110km/h, gusting up to 120km/h.
Rainfall alert
Extremely heavy rainfall alert in Andhra Pradesh
The IMD has issued an extremely heavy rainfall alert for five districts in Andhra Pradesh: Eluru, Krishna, Guntur, Bapatla, and SPSR Nellore.
Very heavy rainfall is likely in NTR, Eluru, East and West Godavari, Palnadu, Chittoor and Tirupati on Monday.
In Tamil Nadu's Chennai and Tiruvallur districts, schools and colleges have been closed as a precautionary measure against the expected heavy rains due to Cyclone Murasu.
Landfall forecast
Cyclone likely to make landfall on November 3
The cyclonic storm, which formed from a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal, is likely to make landfall between Nellore and Narsapur in Andhra Pradesh on November 3.
The Greater Chennai Corporation Commissioner, GS Sameeran, inspected the situation across Chennai after continuous rains hit the city since Sunday night.