Cyclone 'Murasu' Batters Andhra Pradesh, Sparks Flood Fears, IMD issues warnig
Cyclone 'Murasu' struck the coast of Andhra Pradesh around 1:00 AM during intervening night of Monday and Tuesday. It crossed the coast between Nellore and Narsapur, near Ongole, between 3:30 AM and 5:30 AM. During this period, the region experienced wind speeds of up to 120 km/h.
The cyclone brought heavy rainfall and strong winds to several districts in Andhra Pradesh, including Vijayawada. Thousands of trees were uprooted, hundreds of electricity poles were damaged, and fishing boats were also affected. Waterlogging submerged roads in many areas, leaving vehicles stranded on highways.
Flghts cancelled
A total of 19 flights across three airports in Andhra Pradesh and 11 flights from Chennai Airport were cancelled. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has deployed 37 teams across five states, with 13 of these teams stationed in Andhra Pradesh.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a flood warning for low-lying areas in the Guntur, Bapatla, Krishna, Nellore, and Prakasam districts.
In Odisha, the government has relocated 1.6 lakh people from five districts to safer locations as a precautionary measure. The impact of this cyclone may also be felt in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Telangana, Karnataka, and Maharashtra.