Cyclone Murasu makes landfall in Andhra Pradesh, uprooting trees and power poles

Severe Cyclone Murasu has made landfall on India’s eastern coast, marking the second storm to hit the region within a week.

The India Meteorological Department said the cyclone crossed the coast of Andhra Pradesh in the country’s southeast early Tuesday.

It made landfall between 3:30am and 5:30am local time, with sustained winds of 100–110kph and gusts reaching 120kph.

Trees and electricity poles were uprooted, but no deaths or injuries have been reported so far, said Prakhar Jain, director of Andhra Pradesh’s State Disaster Management Authority.

Evacuations from vulnerable coastal areas began on Monday ahead of the storm. The state administration is working to relocate around 30,000 people to safer locations.

Murasu formed in the Bay of Bengal, a breeding ground for deadly cyclones that have repeatedly battered India’s eastern coast. Andhra Pradesh and neighbouring Tamil Nadu are forecast to bear the brunt of the storm.

Last Wednesday, extremely severe Cyclone Arnab struck the Andhra Pradesh coast, killing at least six people in the state.