Andhra Pradesh: Cyclone Murasu turns severe, set to cross coast near Ongole tonight

Cyclone Murasu has strengthened into a severe cyclonic storm over the Bay of Bengal and is expected to cross the south Andhra Pradesh coast close to Ongole between 11:30 pm on Monday and 4 am on Tuesday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in its early-morning bulletin.

The storm is the second to head for the state in under a week. Cyclone Arnab came ashore on October 28 and caused deaths and damage in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha; on Sunday officials were still working to restore power in areas it had hit.

Where the storm is now

At 2:30 am IST on Monday, the system lay over the west-central and adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal, about 290 km east-southeast of Nellore, 330 km southeast of Ongole and 260 km east-northeast of Chennai. It had moved roughly northwest at about 20 kmph over the previous six hours.

The IMD expects it to keep moving northwest and cross the coast between Nellore and Narsapur as a severe cyclonic storm, with sustained winds of 100 to 110 kmph gusting to 120 kmph.

Heavy rain warning for coastal districts

Officials have flagged 20 mandals where extremely heavy rain is possible: nine in Eluru, five each in Krishna and NTR districts, and one in Bapatla. Average rainfall on Tuesday is projected at about 179 mm in Eluru, 163 mm in Krishna, 161 mm in NTR, 147 mm in West Godavari, 119 mm in Guntur and 104 mm in Bapatla. Fishermen have been told not to venture into the sea.

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu reviewed preparations on Sunday, including expected rainfall and wind impact and the status of reservoirs, and called off a visit to Delhi planned for Monday. According to an official release cited by IANS, strong winds could damage between about 12,100 and 15,100 electricity poles across 12 districts, and the Budameru stream near Vijayawada could receive inflows of around 32,500 cusecs on Tuesday.

Neighbouring states on alert

In Tamil Nadu, schools and colleges in Chennai and Tiruvallur are closed on Monday, with heavy to very heavy rain forecast at isolated places. Southern Odisha expects rain from Monday that will intensify on Tuesday and continue into Wednesday, and the IMD has issued orange alerts for several districts of southern Telangana.

For residents of coastal Andhra, the back-to-back storms mean a second round of disruption to power, roads and standing crops just as recovery from Arnab was under way.