In brief
Cyclone Murasho made landfall on India’s eastern coast on Tuesday, prompting evacuations of thousands, including a planned relocation of about 30,000 residents from Andhra Pradesh. The storm poses a serious threat to Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, following last week’s deadly Cyclone Arnab. Indian meteorological officials confirm the storm’s intensity as it sweeps the Bay of Bengal.
Early Tuesday, Cyclone Murasho hit India’s eastern coast, the Saudi Press Agency reports, marking the second cyclone to touch the region within a week. The agency notes that Indian authorities have begun evacuating thousands of residents and plan to relocate roughly 30,000 people from Andhra Pradesh as the cyclone approaches landfall.
The Saudi Press Agency adds that the storm poses a significant risk to Andhra Pradesh and the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu. The agency warned of impending damage to coastal settlements after the previous cyclone, Arnab, had already caused six deaths in the area.
According to the agency’s Arabic dispatch, the cyclone reached the shore at 1 a.m. local time (1930 UTC) on the coast of Andhra Pradesh in the early hours of Tuesday. Authorities had been evacuating thousands since Monday, and the plan to move about 30 thousand people into safer areas was already underway before the storm’s arrival.
“Murasho crosses the Bay of Bengal, a hotspot for tropical cyclones that have historically scorched the eastern coast of India,” the Saudi Press Agency wrote. The report also cites the Indian Meteorological Department’s forecast that Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu will bear the brunt of the damage.
With the storm’s high winds and potential for storm surge, coastal communities are urged to stay alert and adhere to official evacuation orders as the cyclone tightens its eyewall over the Bay of Bengal.
