Severe cyclonic storm Murasu continued its landfall along the south Andhra Pradesh coast near Ongole early Tuesday, bringing heavy rainfall and gale winds gusting up to 120 kmph, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
In its latest update, the IMD said a significant portion of the cyclone's wall cloud had moved inland, while its eye was entering the coast between Nellore and Narsapur, close to Ongole. The landfall process was expected to continue for another two hours, according to the weather department.
Heavy rain and strong winds were reported in the Kothapatnam Beach area of Ongole, with adverse weather conditions affecting the coastal region.
The cyclone had begun making landfall around 1 am, with gale winds reaching speeds of 100-110 kmph and gusting up to 120 kmph along and off the coast.
The IMD warned that heavy rainfall was likely to continue across South Coastal Andhra Pradesh over the next 12 hours.
It also forecast a storm surge of 1 to 1.5 metres above the astronomical tide, which could inundate low-lying coastal areas until Tuesday morning. Bapatla, Krishna and Prakasam districts were likely to experience the highest storm surge.
The cyclone is being monitored by Doppler weather radars, while the weather department has warned of continued adverse conditions along the coast.
(With inputs from PTI)
