In brief
Over 20 flights were cancelled across Chennai and Vijayawada as the severe cyclonic storm Murasu intensified. Passengers were advised to check status and schools were closed, while the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh cancelled a Delhi visit due to the weather. The Indian Meteorological Department issued alerts and ~2,000 people have been evacuated.
More than twenty flights were cancelled on Monday across Tamil Nadu and neighboring Andhra Pradesh as the severe cyclonic storm Murasu intensified over the Bay of Bengal, according to Xinhua news agency.
At Chennai airport in Tamil Nadu, 11 flights were grounded, while Vijayawada International Airport in Andhra Pradesh saw 10 cancellations, disrupting travel to and from the two major cities.
Airlines urged passengers to confirm flight status before heading to the airports as the storm brought heavy downpours and strong winds to the region.
Officials from the Indian Meteorological Department said Murasu, now a severe cyclonic storm, was centered 120 km east‑southeast of Nellore and 160 km northeast of Chennai, with wind speeds expected to reach 100‑110 km/h, gusting up to 120 km/h.
Prakhar Jain, a senior official of the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority, reported that roughly 2,000 people had been evacuated and that the process was underway, while authorities in Odisha expedited evacuations in vulnerable coastal areas.
Both Tamil Nadu’s Chennai and Tiruvallur administrations declared a holiday for schools and colleges on Monday, and the Indian Meteorological Department issued orange alerts for six districts and yellow alerts for five districts in Telangana.
In the wake of the event, the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, Chandrababu Naidu, cancelled his scheduled visit to Delhi on Monday, a move reported by India.com and oneindia.
