Cyclone Murasu Makes Landfall on India’s Eastern Coast
Cyclone Murasu has begun making landfall on India's eastern coast, bringing winds of up to 105 km/h (65 mph) and heavy rain to the state of Andhra Pradesh, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The storm, the strongest to hit the region this season, made landfall near the town of Chirala in the Bapatla district on Sunday evening, local time, after forming in the Bay of Bengal and intensifying as it approached the coast. At least two people were killed and several others injured in the storm's initial impact, according to local media reports, although the full extent of the damage was not yet known on Monday morning.
Murasu — a name given by India in the World Meteorological Organization's naming system for the North Indian Ocean — was classified as a "severe cyclonic storm" by the IMD, with sustained winds of 90–100 km/h gusting to 110 km/h at the time of landfall. The storm brought heavy rain to coastal districts, with the IMD warning of "extremely heavy" rainfall in parts of Andhra Pradesh and neighbouring Telangana, and of storm surges of up to 1.5 metres above astronomical tide in low-lying areas. The IMD said the storm would weaken as it moved inland, but would continue to bring heavy rain to Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh and Odisha over the next 24 hours.
The response to the storm was large-scale and, by the standards of Indian cyclone preparedness, well-rehearsed. The Andhra Pradesh government evacuated more than 50,000 people from low-lying and coastal areas to relief camps, according to the state's disaster management authority, and deployed more than 10,000 personnel from the National Disaster Response Force, the State Disaster Response Force, police and fire services. The state government also set up more than 500 relief camps, stocked with food, water and medicines, and closed schools and colleges in affected districts for two days. The Indian Navy and Coast Guard were placed on standby, with ships and aircraft ready to assist in rescue operations if needed. The preparations reflected lessons learned from past cyclones, including Cyclone Phailin in 2013, which killed at least 44 people and caused widespread damage in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, and Cyclone Hudhud in 2014, which killed at least 68 people and caused $3.4 billion in damage.
Transport was severely disrupted. More than 200 trains were cancelled or diverted, according to Indian Railways, and flights to and from Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada and Tirupati airports were suspended for several hours. The National Highways Authority of India closed several sections of highway in coastal Andhra Pradesh, and ferry services were suspended. Power supply was also affected: the Andhra Pradesh Southern Power Distribution Company said more than 100,000 consumers were without power on Sunday night, although supply was being restored as the storm weakened. Telecommunications were disrupted in some areas, with mobile networks down in parts of the Bapatla and Prakasam districts.
The wider context is one of a warming Bay of Bengal and a changing cyclone season. The Bay of Bengal is one of the world's most cyclone-prone basins, and the IMD has recorded an increase in the frequency and intensity of cyclones in the region in recent decades, a trend that scientists attribute in part to rising sea surface temperatures. Murasu was the third cyclone to hit India's east coast this year, after Cyclone Remal in May and Cyclone Dana in October, and the second to make landfall in Andhra Pradesh in as many months. The storm's timing — in early November, at the end of the traditional cyclone season — is also notable: the IMD has said that cyclones are becoming more frequent in the post-monsoon season, when sea surface temperatures remain high and atmospheric conditions favour storm formation.
But damage assessments were still under way on Monday morning, and the full impact of Murasu was not yet clear. The Andhra Pradesh government said it would conduct a detailed assessment of crop damage, with initial reports suggesting damage to paddy, cotton and horticultural crops in coastal districts, and to fishing boats and nets. The state government also said it would provide compensation to affected families, including ex-gratia payments to the families of those killed. The IMD said the storm would weaken into a depression by Monday evening, but warned of continued heavy rain and the risk of flooding in low-lying areas. For residents returning to their homes, the immediate concern was not the storm itself, which had passed, but the water it left behind — and the longer-term question of how to rebuild in a region where cyclones are becoming more frequent and more intense.
Read the full story at The Curtain: https://thecurtain.online/story/cyclone-murasu-india-landfall/
Sources:
Devdiscourse: https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/international/4000964-cyclone-murasu-makes-landfall-on-indias-eastern-coast
The Hindu BusinessLine: https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/cylone-murasu-live-news-updates-november-2-2026/article71655444.ece/amp/
India Shipping News: https://indiashippingnews.com/ports/cyclone-murasu-hits-indias-andhra-pradesh-coast/
Asia Daily: https://asiadaily.org/news/17202/
Comments
Post a Comment