India’s Andhra Pradesh on High Alert as Cyclone Murasu Approaches Coast

By Staff, Agencies

India’s southern state of Andhra Pradesh is preparing for the arrival of Cyclone Murasu, which is expected to make landfall around midnight on Monday, prompting authorities to intensify emergency preparations and evacuation measures.

The approaching storm comes just days after Cyclone Arnab struck India’s southern coast, killing five people.

In its latest update on Monday, the India Meteorological Department [IMD] said the severe cyclonic storm was expected to move northwestward before crossing the southern Andhra Pradesh coastline between Nellore and Narsapur, near the Ongole region.

The storm is forecast to make landfall between midnight Monday and the early hours of Tuesday, bringing sustained winds of 100 to 110 kilometers per hour [62–68 mph].

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has instructed government officials to take all necessary precautionary measures and prepare for the potential impact of the cyclone.

Naidu warned that preliminary assessments indicate that between 6,000 and 8,000 electricity poles could be damaged, posing a serious threat to power supplies across affected areas.

Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan also issued a warning on the US social media platform X, identifying Nellore, Prakasam, Bapatla and Krishna districts as areas expected to experience severe impacts from the storm.

Meanwhile, authorities have ordered the evacuation of residents from low-lying and vulnerable areas, directing them to move to designated safe locations ahead of the cyclone’s expected landfall.

Emergency preparations are continuing as officials monitor the storm’s movement and assess the potential risks to communities, infrastructure and essential services.