IMD Forecasts Murasu Landfall on Andhra Coast Overnight

Cyclone Murasu had intensified into a severe cyclonic storm over the Bay of Bengal by 2:30 a.m. on November 2, and the India Meteorological Department forecast it would cross the south Andhra Pradesh coast overnight, bringing powerful winds and heavy rain. The IMD forecast the storm would move northwest and make landfall between Nellore and Narsapur, near Ongole, from 11:30 p.m. on November 2 to 4 a.m. on November 3. Winds were expected to reach 100 to 110 km/h, with gusts up to 120 km/h. The landfall and its impacts remained forecasts in the reports available on November 2. The weather department warned of heavy to very heavy rain across coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema on November 2 and 3, with extremely heavy rain possible in isolated places. It also forecast heavy rain in parts of Telangana and Tamil Nadu. In Odisha, heavy to very heavy rainfall was expected in several southern districts on November 3 and 4. The storm was positioned over the west-central and adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal, about 260 kilometres east-northeast of Chennai, according to the IMD’s 2:30 a.m. bulletin. The department had said Murasu was moving northwestward and had strengthened into a...