Severe Cyclone Murasu Makes Landfall Near Ongole With Winds Up to 120 Kmph

UPDATE - follow-up to Cyclone Murasu Live updates: Landfall to begin in A.P. around 2-3 a.m.: Severe Cyclonic Storm Murasu crossed the south Andhra Pradesh coast near Ongole in Prakasam district at around 1 a.m., bringing gale-force winds and heavy rain.

Storm Impact And Flights

The storm brought sustained wind speeds of 100 to 110 kmph, with gusts reaching up to 120 kmph. Adverse weather conditions led to the cancellation of at least 30 domestic flights across Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Tirupati, and Chennai airports, alongside nine train cancellations.

Relief And Evacuation

Authorities evacuated around 2,000 people from vulnerable coastal areas in Andhra Pradesh, with plans to move about 30,000 people to safety. In neighbouring Odisha, more than 1.6 lakh people were moved to safer locations by Monday evening, with Ganjam district accounting for around 1.5 lakh of those evacuations. Andhra Pradesh set up a dedicated WhatsApp helpline numbered 9552300009 through its RTGS platform for citizens to report emergencies like power outages and uprooted trees.

Context

Tropical cyclones frequently form over the Bay of Bengal during the post-monsoon season, bringing high-speed winds and torrential rain to India's eastern coastline. State disaster management agencies routinely coordinate large-scale evacuations and preposition response teams to mitigate loss of life and property during such severe weather events.