The key facts

  • Storm Murasu will make landfall between Nellore and Narsapur around midnight Monday with winds of 100–110 km/h
  • Authorities estimate possible damage to 6,000–8,000 electricity poles
  • Evacuation is underway from low-lying areas; four districts have been named as zones of severe impact

Cyclone Murasu approaches India's southern coast

The Indian state of Andhra Pradesh is preparing for the landfall of Cyclone Murasu, which, according to the forecast of the India Meteorological Department, will cross the southern part of the coast with winds of 100–110 km/h (62–68 mph) between Nellore and Narsapur, near the Ongole region, from midnight Monday into the early hours of Tuesday. The storm is moving in a northwesterly direction. This was reported by the Anadolu agency, citing data from the meteorological service.

Government measures and risk zones

State Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu ordered officials to prepare for the impact of the storm. According to him, assessments suggest damage to 6,000–8,000 electricity poles, which, in his words, poses a 'serious threat to the power supply.' Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan wrote on the social network X that the districts of Nellore, Prakasam, Bapatla and Krishna will be hit hardest. Authorities have ordered the evacuation of people from low-lying areas to safe locations.

The strike comes days after Cyclone Arnab

Murasu arrives just days after Cyclone Arnab, whose landfall on India's southern coast killed five people. Thus, the region is facing its second tropical cyclone in a row, and infrastructure and response services are operating with virtually no pause between the two strikes. Further consequences — the actual extent of the damage and any casualties, if there are any — are not yet given in the publication.