India, Nov. 2 -- Heavy rains lashed India's eastern coastal states that braced for a second severe cyclone within a week, cancelling several flights, putting disaster response teams on alert and shifting thousands of people to safety on Monday.

Cyclone Murasu, a name meaning war drum, is expected to make landfall between Nellore and Narsapur in south Andhra Pradesh between Monday midnight and Tuesday early morning with wind speeds of 100-110 kmph, gusting up to 120 kmph.

At least 19 domestic flights were cancelled at Vijayawada, Tirupati and Visakhapatnam airports in Andhra Pradesh on Monday. Of these, IndiGo cancelled 10 flights and Air India Express two at Vijayawada Airport.

Visakhapatnam Airport cancelled four flights and Tirupati ...