BHUBANESWAR, India, Nov 3 (Reuters) – Cyclone Murasu began making landfall along India’s eastern coast early on Tuesday, the country’s weather department said, the second storm to hit the region in a week as authorities evacuated thousands of people to safety.
The India Meteorological Department said the severe cyclonic storm started making landfall at 1:00 a.m. local time (1930 GMT) over the coast of the south-eastern state of Andhra Pradesh.
Authorities began evacuating thousands of people on Monday and planned to move some 30,000 to safety in Andhra Pradesh, which is in the path of the cyclone.
Cyclone Murasu formed over the Bay of Bengal, a major region for tropical cyclones that has spawned deadly storms on India’s east coast.
IMD forecasts said the states of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu to its south would be worst hit.
At least six people were killed in Cyclone Arnab, which was classified by IMD as a very severe cyclonic storm and made landfall in Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday.
(Reporting by Jatindra Dash, additional reporting by Kanjyik Ghosh; writing by Shanima Aniyeri; Editing by YP Rajesh and Nia Williams)
