Flights from Chennai are disrupted by Cyclone Murasu, and Odisha evacuates before Andhra makes ashore.

On Monday, Odisha increased evacuations in advance of the severe Cyclonic Storm Murasu’s anticipated landfall near Ongole on the southern Andhra Pradesh coast, disrupting flights and flooding areas of Chennai.

The storm, with winds of 100–110 kmph and gusts of up to 120 kmph, is expected to strike the coast between Nellore and Narsapur, near Ongole, between 11.30 pm on Monday and 4 am on Tuesday, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). According to the IMD’s most recent advisory, Murasu was traveling northwest at a speed of 25 kmph and was located roughly 200 km east-northeast of Chennai, 210 km east-southeast of Nellore, and 260 km southeast of Ongole.

Chennai and the nearby districts of Chengalpattu and Tiruvallur had heavy overnight rain, which prompted the IMD to issue an orange advisory and Chennai authorities to announce a school holiday. Authorities at Chennai airport announced that several flights had been canceled due to bad weather and encouraged travelers to get in touch with their airlines for information and support.

According to an official, Madhavaram received 11 cm of rain in the last day, while Ennore Port and Nungambakkam both received 10 cm. Although certain regions reported “minimal water stagnation,” the city had not seen significant flooding, according to Greater Chennai Corporation commissioner G S Sameeran, who oversaw work to clear flooded areas.

“Out of 22 subways in the city, two faced a minor waterlogging issue, and the water was soon cleared for traffic,” he told reporters, adding that all subways remained open. In high-risk areas, the company sent field personnel equipped with backup motors and pumps. Additionally, Sameeran worked with the city police commissioner to manage traffic and make plans for potential coastal floods.

According to the civic organization, 28 monitoring stations—mostly in northern regions like Parrys and Manali—reported high rainfall, and five recorded extremely heavy rainfall. Teams continued to be vigilant in clearing wet areas.

As the storm promised to bring heavy rain to southern regions, authorities in Odisha prioritized evacuations from susceptible locations and reinforced disaster response plans. Despite its anticipated landfall in Andhra Pradesh, Murasu will impact portions of Odisha, according to State Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari. Among the districts most likely to be affected were Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput, and Malkangiri.

He claimed that all district collectors had been notified and that southern areas were on high alert. According to Pujari, more than 300 rescue teams made up of members of the Odisha Fire Service, Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force, and National Disaster Response Force have been deployed. Ahead of Murasu, teams that had been deployed during Cyclone Arnab stayed in position.

On Monday, the IMD predicted strong winds of 40 to 50 kmph, thunderstorms, lightning, and heavy rainfall in some areas of Ganjam and Gajapati. Rain was also expected in Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri, Puri, and Khurda. According to officials, light rain has already started to fall in several areas of Odisha, and its intensity is predicted to gradually grow.