India readies for second cyclone in less than a week

A second cyclone in less than a week headed for India's eastern coast on Monday, with the storm expected to hit overnight, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

Cyclone Murasu is expected to make landfall around midnight on Monday or in the early hours of Tuesday, bringing heavy rain to Andhra Pradesh and neighbouring Tamil Nadu. The storm season has been intensified by the El Nino weather phenomenon, which has contributed to unprecedented warming, bringing worldwide changes in winds, pressure and rainfall patterns.

"It is very likely to... cross south Andhra Pradesh coast as a severe cyclonic storm with wind speeds of around 100 to 110 kilometres (60 to 70 miles) per hour, gusting 120 kmph," IMD said. The storm is expected to make landfall between Nellore and Narsapur, near the city of Ongole, it said.

Last Wednesday, Cyclone Arnab struck the Andhra Pradesh coast, bringing heavy rain and killing at least three people. Murasu is expected to be weaker in terms of wind speed than its predecessor, but could bring further heavy rain to areas already affected.

Cyclones, called hurricanes in the North Atlantic and typhoons in the Pacific, are a regular menace in the Bay of Bengal and northern Indian Ocean.

The weather office warned that strong winds could damage thatched houses, tear off rooftops and uproot trees, while standing crops, plantations and orchards could also suffer damage.

Agence France-Presse