In brief
Flights in Chennai and Vijayawada were halted as Cyclone Murasu intensified, according to Xinhua, while a Mathrubhumi Facebook post reported over 30 cancellations. Officials evacuated around 2,000 residents and issued fishing bans, with heavy rain alerts and school holidays declared ahead of landfall.
On Monday, over 20 flights were cancelled at Chennai and Vijayawada airports as Cyclone Murasu intensified, Xinhua reported, with 11 cancellations in Chennai and 10 in Vijayawada, citing heavy downpour and strong winds.
A Mathrubhumi English Facebook post, which is an eyewitness claim not yet verified, said that more than 30 flights were cancelled at Gannavaram Airport, and 32 train services were suspended in Odisha.
Prakhar Jain, a senior official of the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority, told local media that about 2,000 people had been evacuated, with the cyclone expected to make landfall near Bapatla on Tuesday; the India Meteorological Department issued orange alerts for six districts and yellow alerts for five in Telangana.
Truevision News reported that heavy‑rain alerts had triggered evacuations, school closures, and fishing bans in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, with authorities urging fishermen to stay off the sea until Wednesday.
According to a Hindustan Times update, the cyclone is projected to cross the Andhra Pradesh coast near Bapatla on the morning of November 3, with winds up to 110 km/h at landfall.
