Cyclone Murasu LIVE Updates: Days after Arnab’s damage, Andhra braces for ‘war drum’ tonight

Cyclone Murasu, named after the "war drum," is expected to make landfall along the southern coast of Andhra Pradesh on Monday night or early Tuesday. The storm, forecasted to cross the coast between Nellore and Narsapur, near Ongole, brings sustained winds of 100-110 kmph, with gusts up to 120 kmph at the time of impact. Cyclone Murasu follows a devastating cyclone, Arnab, which struck just days ago, leaving six people dead and causing significant damage to homes and crops.

Authorities have begun evacuations of around 2,000 people, with plans to evacuate a total of 30,000. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has ordered officials to be fully prepared for relief and rescue operations. The Indian Meteorological Department predicts light to moderate rainfall in most parts of Andhra Pradesh on November 2 and 3, with isolated areas potentially experiencing heavy or extremely heavy rainfall.

Tamil Nadu, Telangana, South Chhattisgarh, and South Odisha may also see heavy rainfall. Schools in Chennai have been ordered to remain closed on Monday due to the IMD's issuance of an orange alert, warning of very heavy rainfall around 11-20 cm in the city.