In brief
The severe storm Murasu caused over 20 flights to be canceled at Chennai and Vijayawada airports and more than 30 flights at Gannavaram Airport, according to Xinhua and a Mathrubhumi Facebook post. Authorities evacuated about 2,000 people and warned of heavy rain and winds up to 110 km/h. Schools were shut and fishermen were advised not to go out to sea under the storm’s orange and yellow alerts.
Cyclone Murasu’s growing strength on Monday forced more than twenty flights to be canceled at airports in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, officials said. Over 11 flights were canceled at Chennai Airport and 10 at Vijayawada International Airport, according to Xinhua. A Mathrubhumi Facebook post added that more than 30 flights were canceled at Gannavaram Airport in Andhra Pradesh.
Prakhar Jain, a senior official with the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority, told local media that about 2,000 people had been evacuated from vulnerable coastal areas. The process is still underway as the storm approaches.
The Indian Meteorological Department described Murasu as a severe cyclonic storm that may bring winds of 100 to 110 km/h, gusting to 120 km/h, near Nellore and Chennai during the night and could make landfall early Tuesday.
To protect residents, authorities in Tamil Nadu’s Chennai and Tiruvallur districts declared schools and colleges closed on Monday. The IMD issued an orange alert for six districts and a yellow alert for five districts in the region. Fishermen were warned not to venture into the southeast and southwest Bay of Bengal until Wednesday.
Earlier this week, the storm followed cyclone Arnab, which had already battered Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. Odisha’s government accelerated evacuations and suspended 32 train services after Arnab’s impact.
As Murasu moves toward the coast near Bapatla, state officials remain on high alert, urging people to stay safe and check flight status before traveling.
