Cyclone Murasu Intensifies Over Bay of Bengal, Heads for Andhra Pradesh Coast

The India Meteorological Department said on 1 November 2026 that a deep depression over the southwest and adjoining west-central Bay of Bengal had intensified into Cyclonic Storm Murasu. At 1430 hours IST the system was centred near latitude 12.4°N and longitude 84.6°E, about 480 km east-southeast of Chennai, 550 km east-southeast of Nellore, and 610 km south-southeast of Visakhapatnam.

It moved west-northwest at 27 kmph over the previous six hours. The department expects it to intensify further into a severe cyclonic storm over the west-central Bay of Bengal around the morning of 2 November. Thereafter it is likely to move northwest and cross the south Andhra Pradesh coast between Nellore and Narsapur as a severe cyclonic storm during midnight of 2 November to the early hours of 3 November. Sustained winds at landfall are forecast at 100 to 110 kmph, with gusts reaching 120 kmph.

Southern Odisha and coastal Andhra Pradesh are under high alert. Ports at Visakhapatnam, Gangavaram and Kakinada have raised distant warning signals. Squally weather and rough to very rough seas are already affecting parts of the Bay. Heavy to extremely heavy rain is expected over south coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema over the next three days. A storm surge of about one metre above the astronomical tide is possible in low-lying areas of south coastal Andhra Pradesh, with the highest peak around Bapatla, Krishna and Prakasam districts.

This system forms days after Cyclone Arnab affected the eastern coast. Officials have advised fishermen not to venture into the sea and have asked coastal residents to follow district administration instructions. The National Disaster Response Force and state agencies are on standby. Track and intensity can still change, and residents are directed to monitor subsequent IMD bulletins.

The name Murasu was contributed by Myanmar under the rotating list of cyclone names used by the India Meteorological Department and neighbouring countries. The current position and movement place the core of the system well out to sea for now, but the forecast track brings the strongest winds and heaviest rain to the southern Andhra Pradesh coast within 48 hours.