Cyclone Murasu Intensifies: 11 Chennai Flights Cancelled, Odisha Speeds Up Evacuations

Cyclone Murasu intensified into a severe cyclonic storm, prompting flight cancellations and accelerated evacuations in parts of India, according to officials and IMD updates.

In Chennai, the airport reported the cancellation of 11 flights as the cyclone’s approach affected operations and traveler demand in the region.

The Odisha government moved quickly to evacuate people from vulnerable areas as Murasu strengthened, with authorities prioritizing evacuation and reinforcing emergency response mechanisms in southern districts.

IMD bulletins placed the storm’s center roughly 200 km east-northeast of Chennai and forecast its continued northwestward movement, with landfall expected along the southern Andhra Pradesh coast as a severe cyclonic storm with gusts up to 120 km/h in the late Monday to early Tuesday window.

While Odisha officials noted rainfall in the southern districts and prepared for broader impact, district collectors were put on alert and emergency teams, including NDRF, ODRAF, and Odisha Fire Service, were pre-positioned in anticipation of the storm’s effects.

The meteorological agency warned of heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, and gusty winds across several districts in Odisha and nearby Andhra Pradesh, underscoring the cross-border reach of Murasu as it travels toward the Bay of Bengal.