Cyclone Murasu crosses the Andhra Pradesh coast near Ongole, uprooting thousands of trees and wrecking fishing boats

Severe cyclonic storm Murasu crossed India's east coast early on Tuesday 3 November, a week after Cyclone Arnab. This report draws on The Hindu, Reuters (in copy published by CNA), the Press Trust of India (in copy published by India Today, The New Indian Express and Rediff), India Today, The Indian Express and India Meteorological Department bulletins. ## Update: NDRF reports no deaths "No casualty has been recorded in Andhra Pradesh till now," the National Disaster Response Force said on Tuesday, PTI reports. NDRF deputy inspector general Mohsen Shahedi said about 1.75 lakh (175,000) people in coastal Andhra Pradesh had been affected and about 10,000 were in 171 relief shelters. The NDRF has 14 teams in the state and 38 across five states. The IMD expected Murasu to weaken to a deep depression by late Tuesday night. ## Crossing the coast Murasu crossed the south Andhra Pradesh coast close to Ongole between 3.30am and 5.30am local time (8.30am to 10.30am ACDT), with winds of 100 to 110km/h gusting to 120km/h, the IMD said, PTI reports. PTI says it uprooted thousands of trees, damaged hundreds of electric poles, wrecked fishing boats and flooded several areas, with Prakasam, Bapatla, Palnadu and Guntur districts worst hit. "This is the most dangerous cyclone we have witnessed in the last 14 years," a fisher from Kothapatnam told PTI. The Indian Express reported several low-lying areas inundated overnight, and India Today reported at least 19 domestic flights cancelled on Monday. ## Before landfall About 2,000 people had been evacuated by Monday, and the state planned to move some 30,000, the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority told Reuters. Five districts were on red alert, The Hindu reported. Reuters says Cyclone Arnab killed six people in Andhra Pradesh last week, while The Hindu puts the state's toll at five.