Cyclone Murasu Completes Landfall Near Ongole as Winds Begin to Ease in Andhra Pradesh

Severe Cyclonic Storm Murasu completed its landfall near Ongole in Andhra Pradesh's Prakasam district early on Tuesday, 3 November 2026. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported that the system crossed the coast between 3.30 am and 8.30 am, with maximum sustained winds of 110 kmph to 120 kmph at the landfall point.

By 10.30 am the centre sat about 30 km from Ongole, 40 km west-southwest of Bapatla, 90 km north of Kavali and 100 km south-southwest of Vijayawada. It moved north-northwestwards at 8 kmph. IMD forecasts it will weaken into a cyclonic storm by noon, with winds dropping to 80-90 kmph gusting to 100 kmph, then further to 65-75 kmph gusting to 85 kmph by evening.

Rainfall and Local Impact

Between 8.30 am and 10 am, Gurijepalli in Prakasam recorded 48.5 mm, Addanki 44 mm and Nandigama in NTR district 44 mm, according to the Directorate of Economics and Statistics. Heavy spells are likely to continue over South Coastal Andhra Pradesh for the next 12 hours. A storm surge of 1-1.5 metres above the astronomical tide had been expected to inundate low-lying areas of Bapatla, Krishna and Prakasam districts until morning.

Rough seas and high waves persisted along the Kothapatnam coast near Ongole after landfall. Authorities had already cancelled at least 19 domestic flights at Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam and Tirupati airports as the system approached. IndiGo cancelled 10 flights and Air India Express two at Vijayawada alone.

Sequence of the Approach

The landfall process began around 1 am. At 1.30 am the cyclone was centred about 40 km southeast of Ongole, 60 km northeast of Kavali and 70 km south of Bapatla. The forward sector of the wall cloud entered the coast while the wall cloud region remained close. Gale-force winds of 110 kmph gusting to 120 kmph were forecast along and off the South Andhra coast until morning.

IMD's Regional Specialised Meteorological Centre in New Delhi issued Tropical Cyclone Advisory No 14 at 7.40 am confirming the crossing between Nellore and Narsapur, close to Ongole, between 3.30 am and 5.30 am in one earlier assessment. Later updates refined the full process to 8.30 am.

Preparedness and Next Steps

State authorities had placed coastal districts on alert for the previous day. Fishermen were warned against venturing into the sea. With the system now inland and weakening, the main remaining risk is heavy rain and localised flooding rather than extreme winds. Residents in low-lying areas of Prakasam, Bapatla and Krishna districts continue to monitor updates from the IMD and district administration.

Murasu is the second named cyclone of the post-monsoon season in the Bay of Bengal. Its relatively compact size limited the widest damage zone, but the combination of high winds at landfall and continuing rain still disrupts road, rail and air movement across South Coastal Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday.