According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Cyclone Murasu made landfall near Ongole along the south Andhra Pradesh coast early Tuesday morningThe centre of the storm has moved inland, while a large part of its wall cloud has also moved over land.
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Cyclonic storm Murasu wreaks havoc in coastal Andhra Pradesh
New Delhi: The Indian Meteorological Department has said that severe cyclonic storm Murasu began its landfall process close to Ongole in Prakasam district in the early hours of TuesdayAccording to the Met department, the cyclone started making landfall around 1 am on Tuesday, bringing heavy rainfall, accompanied by gale winds reaching speeds of up to 110 kmph and gusting up to 120 kmph.
“The landfall process commenced at 0100 hours IST on November 3The forward sector of the wall cloud is entering the coast, while the wall cloud region is very close to the coast,” the IMD’s official press release saidUnder the influence of the cyclone, heavy rain struck several places in the southern state.
The cyclone was centred over the west-central Bay of Bengal, close to the South Andhra Pradesh coast, about 40 km southeast of Ongole, 60 km northeast of Kavali and 70 km south of Bapatla, as of 0130 hoursThe IMD said the landfall point was expected to be between Nellore and Narsapur, close to OngoleThe gale-force winds of nearly 110 kmph, gusting to 120 kmph, were likely to prevail along and off the coast until morning.
A storm surge of 1-1.5 metres above the astronomical tide was likely to inundate low-lying areas of South Coastal Andhra Pradesh until Tuesday morning, with the maximum peak surge expected over Bapatla, Krishna and Prakasam districts, the IMD added.
19 Flights Cancelled in Andhra Pradesh
As the cyclone approached the Andhra Pradesh coast, at least 19 domestic flights were cancelled at Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam and Tirupati airports.
Vijayawada Airport Director MLakshmi Kantha Reddy said IndiGo cancelled 10 flights, while Air India Express cancelled twoFour flights were cancelled at Visakhapatnam Airport and three at Tirupati Airport.
Andhra Pradesh Placed on High Alert
Chief Minister NChandrababu Naidu has directed officials to remain alert as moderate to heavy rainfall and strong winds are expected across the south coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema regions.
Naidu expressed hope that the impact would remain limited, as forecasts suggest that wind speeds and rainfall intensity are likely to be lower than those witnessed during Cyclone Arnab.
The state’s Energy Department has also placed power distribution companies on high alertOfficials have been instructed to take precautionary measures to minimise damage to electricity infrastructure and ensure an uninterrupted power supply.
