Cyclone Murasu has gathered strength over the Bay of Bengal and now sits in the severe cyclonic storm category. Authorities across Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Odisha and Telangana have gone into preparation mode, with schools shut in several districts and heavy rain warnings out across five states.
The India Meteorological Department says the storm is likely to cross the south Andhra Pradesh coast between Nellore and Narsapur, close to Ongole, late tonight or in the early hours of 3 November. Winds of 100 to 110 kmph are expected along the coast around landfall, with gusts reaching 120 kmph.
As of Monday morning the system lay about 260 km east-northeast of Chennai and roughly 290 km east-southeast of Nellore.
