AMARAVATI: The severe cyclonic storm Murasu, which battered several parts of Andhra Pradesh with torrential rains, has weakened into a cyclonic storm over the state's south coastal region, the IMD said on Tuesday.

Murasu moved north to northwestwards at a speed of 7 kmph in the past six hours up to 2:30 pm today and weakened into a cyclonic storm over the same region, said the Met Department in an official release.

“Severe cyclonic storm Murasu weakened into a cyclonic storm over South Coastal Andhra Pradesh,” it said, adding that the weather system is located 40 km west to northwest of Bapatla, 60 km north of Ongole, 80 km southwest of Vijayawada, 120 km north of Kavali and 110 km west of Machilipatnam.

The maximum sustained wind speed was 80 to 90 kmph and gusting up to 100 kmph at 2:30 pm today.

“The cyclonic storm is very likely to continue to move north-northwestwards and weaken into a deep depression (wind speed reaching 55-65 kmph (and) gusting to 75 kmph) by midnight of today,” the weather department said.

Under the influence of the cyclonic storm, light to moderate rainfall is expected at most places and heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places and extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places today.

It also forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places on November 4.

Earlier, the eye of the severe cyclonic storm Murasu had crossed the coast at 5.30 am on Tuesday, a Met Department official said.

The Met Department said that significant rainfall was realised in 24 hours, with Bapatla recording a rainfall of 22 cm, followed by Narasapur 20 cm, Karamchedu 16 cm, Addanki 15 cm, and Bhimavaram 13 cm, among other places.