Rains Batter AP as Michaung Intensifies, to Cross Sullurupeta Today

Visakhapatnam: The severe cyclonic storm Michaung, which has already caused heavy rain in southern Andhra Pradesh, is expected to cross the coast near Sullurpeta at about noon on Tuesday, bringing more rain and 110 kmph winds in its wake.

A four-year-old died on Monday when a house collapsed on him in Tirupati district, in what is possible the first cyclone-related death.

A report from IMD-Amaravati, said that Cyclone Michaung was 80 km southeast of Nellore, 210 km south of Bapatla and 250 km south-southwest of Machilipatnam. Wind speed is likely to be 110 to 110 kmph along and off the coast at the time of system crossing the coast.

The weather system is expected to persist until December 7 and thereafter become a deep depression, the report added.

Ahead of the landfall, normal life went out of gear with cancellations of flights, trains and bus services. Schools were closed for the second day and officials said they would be shut till normalcy was restored. Authorities evacuated people from low-lying areas to safer places in coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema.

On Monday Sullurpeta (Tirupati) received 20.2cm, Nellore 19.5 cm, Tada (Tirupati) Gudur 13.8cm, Srikalahasti 13.4 cm, Thottambedu (Tiripati) 13.3 cm and Mummidivaram of Konaseema district 10.3 cm.

Renigunta (Tirupati) airport remained shut on Monday due to strong winds and heavy rains. Approximately, 15 flights scheduled from Renigunta airport and four flights from Vizag airport were cancelled due to bad weather conditions. The airlines have advised passengers to check flight status before reaching the airports in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.

Dozens of trains and bus services have been likewise suspended.

The south coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh, including Tirupati, Nellore and Prakasam, are facing unprecedented challenges as Cyclone Michaung unleashed relentless rains for the fourth consecutive day. This has led to severe disruptions in normal life, property damage and loss of crops, prompting authorities to undertake rescue and relief operations.

Tirupati district has borne the brunt, with an average rainfall of 12. 1 cms  leaving the region grappling with the aftermath of incessant downpours.

Buchi Naidu Kandriga mandal recorded a staggering 28.cms of rain on Monday, with some other mandals reporting rainfall exceeding 20 cms, exacerbating the flooding crisis.

In Nellore district, both rural and urban areas experienced heavy downpours, with Nellore rural and Nellore urban recording 243.4 mm and 243.2 mm of rain, respectively. The Krishnapatnam port raised a 'signal 10' cyclone warning on Monday, signifying the severity of the approaching storm.

A four-year-old boy, Yashwanth, lost his life in Yerpedu on Sunday when a house collapsed on him. Tirupati district collector K. Venkataramana Reddy announced a compensation of 'four lakh to the bereaved family.

Over 2,620 people have sought shelter in 31 relief centres across the district. The cyclone's impact on infrastructure was also evident, with damage to 13 electric poles and 16 substations affecting power supply. Around 1,500 irrigation tanks are filled to their brim, while horticulture crops over 25 acres have suffered extensive damage.

In Nellore district, flooding, property damage and loss of crops have been reported in many areas. According to district collector M. Harinarayan, nearly 2,423 people from flood-prone areas have been evacuated to 54 relief shelters, and two National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have been deployed for rescue and relief operations. Preliminary estimates indicate substantial damage to groundnut and paddy crops, with rivers flowing above the danger mark.

The incessant rainfall has paralysed transportation across Nellore and Tirupati districts with the Kolkata-Chennai grand trunk road experiencing severe disruptions due to the flooded national highways. Rainwater streamed across the NH in Sullurpet and Gummadipudi regions forcing the police to set up checkpoints on the highway as a preventive measure.

The key roads in Nellore city, including the GNT road and Mini by-pass road, remain waterlogged, impeding vehicular movement. Several areas in the city are inundated, forcing residents to stay indoors. APSRTC has suspended a majority of bus services to rural areas since Monday morning.