Amaravati, Nov 1 :The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Sunday issued a cyclone alert for Andhra Pradesh and adjoining north Tamil Nadu coasts after a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal intensified into cyclonic storm 'Murasu', which is likely to strengthen further and cross the Andhra Pradesh coast between November 2 and 3.
According to an IMD bulletin, the system intensified into a cyclonic storm over the southwest and adjoining west-central Bay of Bengal after moving west-northwestwards at a speed of 23 kmph during the previous six hours.
The storm was centred at 11.30 am on Sunday over the southwest and adjoining west-central Bay of Bengal, about 560 km east-southeast of Chennai, 660 km south-southeast of Visakhapatnam, 630 km east-southeast of Nellore, 640 km southeast of Machilipatnam and 680 km east-southeast of Ongole, the weather agency said.
It is very likely to continue moving west-northwestwards and intensify into a severe cyclonic storm over the west-central Bay of Bengal by Monday morning.
Thereafter, it is expected to move northwestwards and cross the south Andhra Pradesh coast as a severe cyclonic storm, packing maximum sustained wind speeds of 100-110 kmph and gusts reaching 120 kmph.
The landfall is likely between Nellore and Narsapur during the midnight hours of November 2 and early hours of November 3, between 11.30 pm and 4 am, the IMD said.
If the forecast materialises, this will be the second cyclonic storm to hit the Andhra Pradesh coast in less than a week.
Earlier, very severe cyclonic storm 'Arnab' crossed the Andhra Pradesh coast near Narsapur during the early hours of October 28, bringing maximum sustained wind speeds of 125-135 kmph and gusts up to 150 kmph.
The cyclone claimed seven lives and caused extensive damage to crops, roads, electricity and telecommunications infrastructure across several coastal districts.
Thousands of acres of agricultural land were affected, while hundreds of electricity poles and trees were uprooted.
Preliminary estimates have pegged the losses caused by 'Arnab' at around Rs 4,600 crore.
A Central government team is currently visiting the state to assess the damage caused by the previous cyclone.
The latest alert comes as the state continues to assess and recover from the devastation caused by 'Arnab'.
