Cyclone Murasu has not reached land yet, but Chennai is already feeling it. Heavy overnight rain left roads waterlogged on Monday morning, rough waves hit the city's beaches, and civic teams stayed on alert as the severe cyclonic storm moved across the Bay of Bengal towards the Andhra Pradesh coast.
The heaviest rain fell in the northern parts of the city. According to the Greater Chennai Corporation's Integrated Command and Control Centre, Parrys received 149.2 mm in the 24 hours ending at 6 a.m. on Monday. New Manali Town recorded 141.6 mm and Manali 136.2 mm.
The corporation's rainfall report showed very heavy rain at five monitoring locations and heavy rain at 28 others, including Madhavaram, Puzhal, Manali, Ennore, Basin Bridge and parts of Tondiarpet. These are mostly the city's industrial and port-side areas in the north, which often see the worst waterlogging during the northeast monsoon.
The rest of the city also got rain. Moderate rainfall was recorded at 25 locations, including Korattur, Ayapakkam, Valasaravakkam, Alandur, Pallikaranai and Sholinganallur, although the highest totals were in the north.
Greater Chennai Corporation Commissioner G.S. Sameeran inspected water stagnation on Besant Road in Triplicane and then visited the command centre at Ripon Building to review relief and monitoring work. Field teams were deployed to drain waterlogged roads and keep essential services running in affected neighbourhoods.
Where Murasu Is Headed
According to the India Meteorological Department's (IMD) 5 a.m. bulletin, Murasu has strengthened into a severe cyclonic storm. At 2.30 a.m., its centre lay about 260 km east-northeast of Chennai and 290 km east-southeast of Nellore.
The IMD expects the storm to cross the Andhra Pradesh coast between Nellore and Narsapur, close to Ongole, between midnight on November 2 and the early hours of November 3. It is carrying sustained winds of 100–110 kmph, with gusts up to 120 kmph.
Southern States Join Hands on Power Restoration
The most notable development is happening away from the coast. Expecting serious damage to electricity infrastructure, especially uprooted poles, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu spoke on Sunday to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay and Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar. He asked them to send personnel and machinery to help with restoration work.
According to an official release late on Sunday night, both Chief Ministers responded positively and promised all possible help. Naidu said Andhra officials would coordinate directly with their counterparts in the two states.
This matters because Andhra Pradesh is facing two storms in quick succession. Personnel from Telangana are already working in the field to repair damage caused by Cyclone Arnab. As a precaution, the Andhra government has also kept electricity department staff who finished restoration work in Arnab-hit areas ready for deployment where Murasu is expected to strike.
Arranging extra crews and equipment from neighbouring states before landfall means repairs can start as soon as the storm passes, rather than waiting for help to arrive afterwards. For coastal districts recovering from one cyclone and preparing for the next, that could help restore power faster.
For Chennai, the next few hours will depend on how quickly the rain eases as Murasu moves north. For Andhra Pradesh, the main test comes tonight.
(With inputs from IANS)
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