Authorities in Andhra Pradesh have begun relocating residents from low‑lying coastal areas after Cyclone Murasu is expected to make landfall near Ongole between 11:30 pm and 4 am on Tuesday. The India Meteorological Department said the storm will bring winds of 100–110 km/h, with gusts up to 120 km/h, and cross the coast of south Andhra Pradesh between Nellore and Narsapur.
In a briefing to Reuters, Prakhar Jain, managing director of the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority, said roughly 2,000 people had already been evacuated and that the authorities are planning to move an additional 30,000 residents. “We are planning to evacuate some 30,000 people,” Jain told Reuters. He also reported that six National Disaster Response Force teams and seven State Disaster Response Force teams had been deployed, including three NDRF units from neighbouring Tamil Nadu.
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu ordered preparations for the storm, citing estimates that 6,000 to 8,000 electrical poles could be damaged, creating a severe threat to power supply. Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan posted on X that the cyclone was expected to severely impact Nellore, Prakasam, Bapatla, and Krishna districts.
Schools in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Odisha have been closed, and rain is expected to continue over parts of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha and Chhattisgarh until Wednesday, as ETV Bharat reported. The storm is expected to be less intense than Cyclone Arnab, which struck the same coastline last week and caused six deaths and extensive damage.
