Three Rescue Teams Head to Andhra as Cyclone Murasu Nears

Three National Disaster Response Force teams left Tamil Nadu for Andhra Pradesh as Cyclone Murasu neared the coast. They are preparing to help with rescue and relief work. The storm is expected to cross between Nellore and Narsapur, near Ongole, from late Monday night into early Tuesday. Winds may reach 100 to 110 kmph, with gusts up to 120 kmph. ^10,1

The three teams left the NDRF’s 4th battalion in Tamil Nadu. Murasu grew stronger over the Bay of Bengal and moved west-northwest at about 22 kmph, the India Meteorological Department said. At 8:30 a.m., its centre was about 160 km east-southeast of Nellore and 180 km northeast of Chennai. Andhra authorities have evacuated about 2,000 people and said they planned to move as many as 30,000. ^10,9,1

Those planned evacuations matter because danger extends beyond where the storm reaches land. Coastal Andhra Pradesh faces heavy to very heavy rain, with extremely heavy showers possible in isolated places. Rain has already flooded parts of Chennai, while Chennai airport reported 11 cancelled flights and Vijayawada airport reported 10 IndiGo cancellations. Odisha and Telangana have also issued weather alerts, putting residents, travelers and local services across several states on watch. ^1,4,8

The flight disruptions are one immediate sign of how Murasu is affecting daily life before landfall. Authorities are preparing for damage to homes, trees, crops and power lines, while disaster teams stand ready to respond. The IMD’s current forecast puts landfall between 11:30 p.m. on November 2 and 4 a.m. on November 3. Residents should follow local alerts as the storm approaches. ^5,10,1