Heavy rain falls in eastern India after second cyclone in a week

HYDERABAD, India (AP) — Heavy rains fell Tuesday in eastern India after the second cyclone to hit the area in a week prompted evacuations of thousands of people.

Cyclone Murasu made landfall in the morning near Ongole in Prakasam district of Andhra Pradesh state with maximum sustained winds of 100-110 kph (62-68 mph), the India Meteorological Department said. Heavy rain was forecast for several hours as the cyclone weakened.

Ahead of the storm, authorities closed schools and halted train services and some flights in the vulnerable areas. Thousands of people were also evacuated to safety.

Authorities warned the rain could cause flooding in low-lying areas and disruptions to daily life. A storm surge of up to 1.5 meters (5 feet) was possible on the coast, the IMD said.

The storm formed over the Bay of Bengal, where the warm waters have spawned some of the deadliest cyclones to hit eastern India, Bangladesh and Myanmar.

Cyclone Arnab battered parts of Andhra Pradesh last week, killing at least five people, damaging homes and infrastructure and inundating roughly 200,000 acres of cropland.