Cyclone Murasu to cross Andhra coast tonight, moderate rain forecast across state

Amaravati: Severe cyclonic storm 'Murasu' is expected to cross Andhra Pradesh coast between Nellore and Narasapur in the intervening night of November 2 and 3, the IMD said on Monday.

Under the influence of cyclone Murasu, the Met department forecast light to moderate rain or thundershowers across several places in Andhra Pradesh.

"The severe cyclonic storm Murasu is very likely to move northwestwards and cross the south Andhra Pradesh coast as a severe cyclonic storm with a wind speed of 100 to 110 kmph (and) gusting up to 120 kmph between Nellore and Narasapur to the south of Ongole during midnight (11.30 pm) of today to early hours (4 am) of tomorrow, November 3," the Met department said in an official release.


By 5:30 pm today, the weather system lay centred over west-central Bay of Bengal, about 80 km east to northeast of Nellore, 80 km east to southeast of Kavali, 110 km southeast of Ongole, 140 km south of Bapatla, 170 km south to southeast of Machilipatnam, 170 km northeast of Tirupati and 190 km north to northeast of Numgambakkam in Chennai.

After moving in the north to northwestward direction at a speed of 12 kmph during the past six hours up to 5:30 pm today, the weather system is likely to continue move slowly in the same direction.

"Storm surge of about 1.5 to 2 m height above astronomical tide is very likely to inundate low-lying areas of South Coastal Andhra Pradesh during the time of landfall. The maximum surge is expected over Bapatla and also over Krishna and Prakasam districts," the weather department said.

Between 8:30 am and 5:30 pm today, Tuni logged 3.6 mm rainfall, followed by Kakinada 30.4 mm, Machilipatnam 3.8 mm, Bapatla 6.8 mm, Ongole 1 mm, Kavali 8.7 mm, Nellore 4 mm and Tirupati 12.4 mm.

Under the influence of Murasu, it forecast light to moderate rain or thundershowers at most places over Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Yanam and Rayalaseema on Monday.

Extremely heavy rainfall is expected at one or two places over Bapatla, Prakasam, Nellore, Chittoor and Tirupati districts.

For Tuesday, the Met department said light to moderate rain or thundershowers is likely in most places over Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam, including similar weather at many places in Rayalaseema.

Extremely heavy rainfall is expected at one or two places over Palnadu, Tirupati and Nandyal districts, including heavy to very heavy rainfall at one or two places over Eluru, NTR, Krishna, Guntur, Bapatla, Prakasam, Nellore, Chittoor, Annamayya, Kadapa and Kurnool districts.

Similarly, it forecast heavy rainfall at one or two places over Srikakulam, Parvathipuram Manyam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, Alluri Sitharama Raju, Anakapalli, Kakinada, Dr BR Ambedkar Konaseema, East Godavari, West Godavari, Sri Sathya Sai and Anantapur districts and Yanam.

Further, the Met department said light to moderate rain or thundershowers are expected at many places over Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Yanam and Rayalaseema on November 4 and 5, including heavy rainfall at one or two places over Palnadu, Prakasam, Kurnool and Nandyal districts on November 4.

Light to moderate rain or thundershowers are also expected at a few places over Coastal Andhra and Yanam, and light to moderate rain or thundershowers at one or two places over Rayalaseema on November 5.

Rainy days are likely to be accompanied by squally winds reaching up to 110 kmph, the release said.