Cyclone Murasu: Heavy rain alerts in five states, Chennai schools closed

Cyclone Murasu intensified into a severe cyclonic storm on Monday in the Bay of Bengal, triggering heavy rainfall alerts in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Chhattisgarh.

The cyclonic storm is expected to make landfall near Ongole in Andhra Pradesh between midnight on Monday and Tuesday morning. It is very likely to make landfall with wind speeds of 100 km per hour to 110 km per hour, gusting to 120 km per hour, the weather agency said.

As of 8.30 am on Monday, the storm was 180 km northeast of Chennai and 160 km east-southeast of Nellore, the India Meteorological Department said.

Heavy rainfall

There could be extremely heavy rainfall on Monday and Tuesday in some places in coastal Andhra Pradesh, the weather department said on Sunday. It predicted heavy rainfall in the region on Wednesday.

Tamil Nadu was forecast to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall in some places Monday and Tuesday.

The weather department said that southern Odisha will receive light to moderate rainfall at many places with heavy rainfall in some areas on Tuesday. Some places would receive "heavy to very heavy rainfall" on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The #Severe_Cyclonic_Storm “#Murasu” [Pronunciation: Murasu]” over Westcentral & adjoining Southwest Bay of #Bengal moved west-northwestwards with a speed of 22 kmph during past 06 hours and lay centered at 0830 hours...

Read more