BHUBANESWAR, India, Nov 3 (Reuters) – Cyclone Murasu made landfall along India’s eastern coast on Tuesday, the country’s weather department said, the second storm to hit the region in a week as authorities evacuated thousands of people to safety.
The India Meteorological Department said the severe cyclonic storm crossed the coast of the south-eastern state of Andhra Pradesh between 03:30 and 05:30 local time, with wind speeds of 100-110 kph (62 to 68 mph) and gusts of up to 120 kph.
No deaths or injuries have been reported so far, although some trees and electric poles were uprooted, Prakhar Jain, Managing Director of the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority, said.
Authorities began evacuating thousands of people on Monday and planned to move some 30,000 to safety in Andhra Pradesh, which is in the path of the cyclone.
Cyclone Murasu formed over the Bay of Bengal, a major region for tropical cyclones that has spawned deadly storms on India’s east coast.
IMD forecasts said the states of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu to its south would be worst hit.
At least six people were killed in Cyclone Arnab, which was classified by IMD as a very severe cyclonic storm and made landfall in Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday.
(Reporting by Jatindra Dash, Rishika Sadam, Kanjyik Ghosh; writing by Shanima Aniyeri, Chris Thomas; Editing by YP Rajesh, Nia Williams and Saad Sayeed)
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