Cyclone Murasu to make landfall between 11:30pm-4:00am on Andhra coast
What's the story
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted that severe cyclonic storm Murasu will make landfall on the south coast of Andhra Pradesh between Nellore and Narsapur around 11:30pm and 4:00am. The storm is expected to bring winds with speeds of 100-110km/h, gusting up to 120km/h. At 2:30pm on Monday, the cyclone was located over the Westcentral Bay of Bengal, about 100km east of Nellore.
Path forecast
Cyclone to cross coast between midnight and early morning
The IMD has forecasted that the cyclone will move northwestward before making landfall near midnight.
The storm is expected to bring heavy rainfall in South Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema districts, with extremely heavy rainfall at isolated locations.
Telangana is also expected to witness an increase in rainfall activity, while parts of Tamil Nadu, Odisha and Chhattisgarh are likely to experience rain and strong winds.
Disaster management
Naidu reviews cyclone preparedness
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu reviewed the state's preparedness for Cyclone Murasu, directing officials to prepare for the cyclone.
Naidu said estimates suggested that 6,000 to 8,000 electrical poles could be damaged, posing a "severe threat to power supply."
Six National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams and seven State Disaster Response Force teams have been deployed in advance, according to the IANS.
Three of the NDRF teams were sent from neighboring Tamil Nadu, ANI reported.
Storm
Murasu is expected to be less intense than Cyclone Arnab
Murasu is expected to be less intense than Cyclone Arnab, which hit the same coastline last week, killing six people and destroying dozens of homes and crops.
Nonetheless, schools remained closed in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Odisha with rain expected to continue over parts of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha and Chhattisgarh until Wednesday.
Several flights have also been canceled. In Chennia alone, 11 flights were canceled.