Cyclone Murasu to hit Andhra coast near Kavali between 8-10 pm; 8 IndiGo flights cancelled

Severe Cyclonic Storm Murasu is likely to cross the south Andhra Pradesh coast near Kavali town between 8 pm and 10 pm on Monday, prompting authorities to issue safety advisories and step up preparedness in Nellore and Prakasam districts. As a precautionary measure, IndiGo has also cancelled eight flights scheduled to operate to and from Vijayawada on November 3.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned that the storm is approaching the coast with wind speeds of 100-110 kmph, gusting up to 120 kmph. It has urged residents to remain alert and follow safety instructions issued by officials.

"Stay prepared before the storm. Follow safety precautions during and after the storm. Follow official IMD advisories and local authorities' instructions," the weather department said in a post on X.

Nellore District Collector Himanshu Shukla said Kavali was likely to be the point of landfall, but the impact of the cyclone would extend across Nellore and Prakasam districts.

"Cyclone Murasu is likely to cross the coast around 8 to 10 p.m. tonight. It will be crossing near Kavali Town, but the impact will be on the entire Nellore District and Prakasam District," Shukla said.

Urging residents to remain indoors, the Collector said the district administration had made arrangements to deal with medical emergencies and provide essential services.

"In this background, my request is that all the people of Nellore district should remain in their houses. In case of any health emergency, they can contact 108, and we will be sending ambulances directly to their houses," he said.

Shukla also warned of possible disruptions to railway and bus services, advising passengers to check their bookings and service updates before leaving for stations or bus terminals.

"Also, there are a number of railway diversions and a lot of buses are going to be cancelled, so whoever has done online booking, kindly double-check before going to the respective railway station and bus stations, to avoid any inconvenience," he said.

The administration is also preparing to restore electricity supplies as quickly as possible after the storm. Cyclone shelters have been opened for residents whose homes may be affected by flooding.

"The administration is taking all efforts; we will be able to restore electricity as early as possible. Also, we have opened cyclone shelters, so people in whose house water enters, can proceed to the nearest cyclone shelter for food, milk, and water supply," Shukla added.

Cyclone Murasu: IndiGo cancels eight flights to and from Vijayawada

Air connectivity to and from Vijayawada has also been affected, with IndiGo cancelling eight flight operations scheduled for November 3 as a precautionary measure ahead of Cyclone Murasu.

According to information shared by the Airport Public Relations Officer (PRO), the cancellations include seven domestic flights and one international service, affecting connections with Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kadapa and Singapore.

The cancelled morning services include flight 6446/6447 on the Delhi-Vijayawada-Delhi route, scheduled to arrive at 7.25 am and depart at 7.55 am. Flight 7203/7204 on the Bengaluru-Vijayawada-Bengaluru route, scheduled between 7.30 am and 7.55 am, has also been cancelled.

Two other morning services, flight 2572/2573 on the Hyderabad-Vijayawada-Hyderabad route and flight 7303/7304 on the Chennai-Vijayawada-Chennai route, have also been called off. They were scheduled to operate between 8.15 am and 8.45 am, and 8.30 am and 9 am, respectively.

The airline has also cancelled its international Singapore service, flight 1030/1029, which was scheduled to arrive at 7.55 am and depart at 9.40 am.

The disruptions will continue through the afternoon and evening. Flight 6326/6327 on the Hyderabad-Vijayawada-Hyderabad route, scheduled between 1.15 pm and 1.45 pm, has been cancelled.

Flight 7711/7712 on the Kadapa-Vijayawada-Kadapa route, scheduled between 2.30 pm and 2.50 pm, has also been called off. The evening Bengaluru service, flight 7223/7224, scheduled to arrive at 5.25 pm and depart at 5.45 pm, has been cancelled as well.

Passengers travelling to and from Vijayawada on November 3 have been advised to check their flight status with the airline before leaving for the airport.

Odisha steps up preparedness, monitors reservoirs

Meanwhile, the Odisha government has stepped up preparations for Cyclone Murasu while continuing restoration work at locations damaged by Cyclone Arnab.

Engineer-in-Chief of the Water Resources Department, Dilip Kumar Rout, said field engineers had inspected the affected sites and assessed the damage. The department is planning temporary restoration measures while also repairing major damaged structures.

"All field engineers made an extensive tour of the sites which suffered damage and assessed the quantum of damage. We will carry out temporary repairs and focus on repairing major damage. Within two to three months, things will be back to normal," Rout said.

As part of its preparations for Murasu, the department is lowering water levels in all 10 medium reservoirs across the state to reduce the risk of excess water accumulation.

Authorities are also closely monitoring major reservoirs in southern Odisha, including Kolab, Indravati and Balimela.

"Before Cyclone Murasu, we are depleting all ten of our medium reservoirs. We are also watchful regarding the major reservoirs situated in the southern part of our state, like Kolab, Indravati and Balimela," Rout said.

He added that officials were working to close breaches in damaged structures as quickly as possible to prevent further damage to nearby residential areas.

"We are also trying to get the breaches closed as soon as possible so that no further damage occurs to the nearby habitation," he said.

Authorities in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha are monitoring the situation and have urged residents to follow official advisories as Cyclone Murasu approaches the coast.

(With ANI inputs)