Cyclone Murasu's eye touches Andhra's coast as landfall continues; heavy rain, 120 kmph winds batter shore

The landfall process of severe cyclonic storm Murasu began close to Ongole in Prakasam district of Andhra Pradesh in the early hours of Tuesday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. A major part of the cyclone's wall cloud had entered land, and its eye was entering the coast, they added.

According to the Met department, the cyclone made landfall around 1 am on Tuesday, bringing heavy rainfall and gale winds reaching up to 110 kmph, with gusty winds up to 120 kmph.

“The landfall process commenced at 0100 hours IST on November 3. The forward sector of the wall cloud is entering the coast, while the wall cloud region is very close to the coast,” the IMD's official press release said.

Quick answers to key questions

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QUESTIONS

The landfall process began around 1 am on November 3 near Ongole in Prakasam district. The IMD had identified the coastal stretch between Nellore and Narsapur as the expected landfall area.

Gale-force winds reached about 110 kmph, with gusts up to 120 kmph. The IMD said these winds were likely along and off the coast until morning.

The IMD forecast heavy rainfall across South Coastal Andhra Pradesh. Red warnings were issued for Krishna, Guntur, Bapatla, Palnadu, NTR and Prakasam districts.

Yes. The IMD warned that a storm surge of 1–1.5 metres above the astronomical tide could inundate low-lying areas of South Coastal Andhra Pradesh until Tuesday morning.

No. Fishermen were advised not to venture into the sea until the morning of November 4, and offshore and onshore operations were suspended pending review of IMD warnings.

The cyclone was centred over the west-central Bay of Bengal, close to the South Andhra Pradesh coast, about 40 km southeast of Ongole, 60 km northeast of Kavali and 70 km south of Bapatla, as of 1.30 am.

The IMD said the landfall point was expected to be between Nellore and Narsapur, close to Ongole. The gale-force winds of nearly 110 kmph, gusting to 120 kmph, were likely to prevail along and off the coast until morning.

Heavy rain alert

Under the cyclone's influence, heavy rain fell across several places in the southern state. IMD said the states of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu to its south would be worst hit.

Heavy spells of rainfall have been predicted across South Coastal Andhra Pradesh during the next 12 hours, said the Met department

“... In association with the severe cyclonic storm, there is likely heavy rainfall occurring in coastal Andhra Pradesh, south coastal Andhra Pradesh,” K Nagaratna, Director of Andhra IMD, told ANI. “Red warnings have been issued to Krishna, Guntur, Bapatla, Palnadu, NTR, and Prakasam,” he said.

A storm surge of 1-1.5 metres above the astronomical tide was likely to inundate low-lying areas of South Coastal Andhra Pradesh until Tuesday morning, with the maximum peak surge expected over Bapatla, Krishna and Prakasam districts, the IMD added.

“Fishermen are advised not to venture into the sea even today till 4 November morning, and there is total suspension of offshore and onshore operations till the operations are reviewed as per the warnings of IMD,” Nagaratna said.

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