Cyclone Murasu makes landfall on India’s eastern coast

What the report says

Cyclone Murasu made landfall on India’s eastern coast early Tuesday near Ongole in Andhra Pradesh’s Prakasam district, according to the India Meteorological Department. The severe cyclonic storm brought strong winds, heavy rain and flooding, with reports of uprooted trees, downed electricity poles and damage to low-lying areas. Al Jazeera, citing Reuters and the Press Trust of India, said impacts were especially severe in Prakasam and Bapatla districts, where crops, fishing boats and power infrastructure were affected.

No deaths or injuries had been reported at the time of publication, an official with the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority told Reuters. Authorities had begun evacuations on Monday and planned to move about 30,000 people to safety across the state. Local residents described significant disruption, while disaster-response teams were deployed in the region.

The storm is significant because it hit the same part of India only days after Cyclone Arnab caused damage in Andhra Pradesh and neighboring Odisha. The IMD warned of heavy to very heavy rain across several districts, and said Andhra Pradesh, along with Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Odisha, could face further impacts. In general, the Bay of Bengal coast is prone to powerful cyclones, especially during the late-monsoon season.