Cyclone ‘Murasu’ wreaks havoc in Andhra Pradesh! Makes landfall with wind speeds of up to 120 kmph; heavy rain and uprooted trees reported along the coast
Cyclone ‘Murasu’ has wreaked havoc along the Andhra Pradesh coast after making landfall. The landfall process began at around 1 am on Monday and continued for several hours before being completed on Tuesday morning. At the time of landfall, the cyclone had wind speeds of 100-110 kmph, with gusts reaching up to 120 kmph.
Under the impact of the cyclone, several parts of Andhra Pradesh, including Vijayawada, Bapatla and Guntur, witnessed heavy rainfall throughout the night. Trees were uprooted in several areas of Bapatla. Disaster response teams were engaged in clearing fallen trees despite the adverse weather conditions to ensure that road traffic was not disrupted.
The Meteorological Department has forecast heavy rainfall across the southern coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday. Low-lying areas near the coast are also at risk of flooding.
The impact of the cyclone has also been felt in Chennai and adjoining coastal areas of Tamil Nadu. The sea has remained rough since Tuesday morning. Heavy rain and strong winds have also affected Puducherry.
Cyclone ‘Murasu’, which has brought in large amounts of moisture from the sea, is expected to continue affecting Andhra Pradesh’s coastal regions for several more hours. It is likely to gradually weaken as it moves further inland.
According to the Meteorological Department’s forecast, the cyclone is expected to move further north and northwest by Tuesday afternoon, weakening into a cyclonic storm with wind speeds of 80-90 kmph. By Tuesday midnight, it is likely to weaken further into a deep depression, with wind speeds of around 55-65 kmph.
Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu is in regular contact with the administration and has reviewed preparations to tackle the cyclone. The state government has allocated Rs 37 crore for the affected districts.
At least 19 flights scheduled to operate from Vijayawada, Tirupati and Visakhapatnam airports were cancelled on Monday due to the cyclone. Several train services were also cancelled. Many residents from coastal areas have been evacuated to safer locations.
According to the Meteorological Department, light to moderate rainfall, accompanied by thunderstorms, is likely at most places across Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam, as well as at many places in Rayalaseema on Tuesday.
Extremely heavy rainfall is likely at isolated places in Palnadu, Tirupati and Nandyal districts. Heavy to very heavy rainfall has also been forecast at isolated locations in Eluru, NTR, Krishna, Guntur, Bapatla, Prakasam, Nellore, Chittoor, Annamayya, Kadapa and Kurnool districts.
Additionally, heavy rainfall is likely at isolated places in Srikakulam, Parvathipuram Manyam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, Alluri Sitarama Raju, Anakapalli, Kakinada, B. R. Ambedkar Konaseema, East Godavari, West Godavari, Sri Sathya Sai and Anantapur districts, as well as Yanam.
