Cyclone Murasu is forecast to make landfall along the Andhra Pradesh coast on the night of November 2–3, with winds gusting to 120 km/h.
The storm threatens the state less than a week after Cyclone Arnab killed seven people and caused an estimated Rs 4,600 crore in damage.
Red alerts have been issued for extremely heavy rainfall in parts of Andhra Pradesh, with neighbouring states also facing heavy rain.
The state government has announced compensation for families of those killed and farmers whose crops were damaged by Arnab.
The new storm is expected to make landfall on the night of November 2-3, bringing winds of up to 120 kilometres per hour (km/h) and extremely heavy rainfall, as the state struggles to recover from an estimated Rs 4,600 crore in damage.
Andhra Pradesh is bracing for another severe cyclonic storm, Murasu, less than a week after Cyclone Arnab struck the state on October 28, killing seven people and affecting at least 18 coastal and adjoining districts.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), a depression over the southwest and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal intensified into Cyclone Murasu after moving west-northwestwards at 23 km/h over six hours.
Murasu was centred over the west-central and adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal at 02.30 am on November 2. It had moved northwestwards at approximately 20 km/h during the preceding six hours.
The storm, whose name was proposed by India and means “war drum” in Tamil, is expected to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm over the west-central Bay of Bengal.
It is forecast to cross the southern Andhra Pradesh coast between Nellore and Narsapur between 11.30 pm on November 2 and 2 pm on November 3, with sustained winds of 100-110 km/h, gusting to 120 km/h.
“The system is very likely to continue moving and to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm,” S Karuna Sagar, an IMD scientist in Amaravati, told Down To Earth, citing the department’s forecast.
The IMD has forecast rainfall across 18 districts on November 2, with five under red warnings for extremely heavy rainfall, seven under orange warnings for heavy to very heavy rainfall and six under yellow warnings. Rainfall is expected across the state on November 3, with three districts under red warnings, seven under orange and 16 under yellow warnings.
Orange alerts were issued for Rayalaseema, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Karaikal and Telangana, warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall ranging from 115.6 mm to 204.4 mm.
Yellow alerts were issued for parts of Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Mahe, Arunachal Pradesh and south interior Karnataka, where isolated heavy rainfall of 64.5 mm to 115.5 mm was forecast.
Conditions are expected to improve on November 4, when only five districts are forecast to remain under weather warnings.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has directed officials to accelerate restoration work following Cyclone Arnab while preparing for the approaching storm.
The state government has submitted a preliminary damage assessment of Rs 4,600 crore to the central government.
Naidu said seven people had died in Cyclone Arnab and announced compensation of Rs 5 lakh for each bereaved family.
The government has also announced financial assistance for farmers whose crops were damaged.
Compensation of Rs 54,000 per hectare will be provided for damage to coconut plantations covering 1,293 hectares, along with Rs 1,500 for each coconut tree uprooted or suffering crown damage.
Officials estimated that approximately 195,000 coconut trees had been damaged.
Banana farmers will receive Rs 35,000 per hectare for losses across 15,000 hectares of plantations.
With local body elections beginning on November 1, Naidu said restoring connectivity and addressing problems in affected areas remained priorities.
Rayalaseema could experience winds of 60–70km/h, gusting to 80km/h, as the cyclone approaches. Thunderstorms accompanied by strong winds and lightning were also forecast for parts of Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Odisha and Maharashtra.
The IMD warned of rough sea conditions along the Andhra Pradesh, north Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and south Odisha coasts, extending into the southeast Bay of Bengal. Fishermen were advised to avoid venturing into these waters.
Meanwhile, an active western disturbance is expected to bring thunderstorms and rainfall to Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, with snowfall possible at higher altitudes.
Rainfall is also forecast across several districts of Uttar Pradesh, including Meerut, Ghaziabad, Agra, Aligarh, Rae Bareli, Ayodhya, Gorakhpur and Ballia. Some areas could experience light to moderate fog.
Delhi-NCR could receive rainfall on November 2, accompanied by winds of 20–30km/h. The maximum temperature is forecast to remain around 29°C, with a minimum of approximately 18°C.
