Cyclone Murasu intensifies over Bay of Bengal, heads for Andhra Pradesh coast

Cyclonic storm Murasu has intensified over the southwest and adjoining west-central Bay of Bengal and is tracking west-northwestward toward the coast of Andhra Pradesh. The India Meteorological Department placed its centre at 12.7 degrees north and 84.1 degrees east at 1730 hours IST on 1 November 2026, roughly 420 km east-southeast of Chennai and 490 km east-southeast of Nellore.

IMD expects the system to strengthen further into a severe cyclonic storm by the early hours of 2 November. It is then projected to move northwestward and cross the south Andhra Pradesh coast as a severe cyclonic storm with maximum sustained winds of 100 to 110 kmph gusting to 120 kmph. Landfall is anticipated between Nellore and Narsapur, close to Ongole in Prakasam district, during the midnight hours of 2 November into the early hours of 3 November.

Authorities in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha have raised alerts. Coastal districts face the prospect of very heavy rainfall, strong winds and a storm surge. The Odisha government has stepped up preparedness in southern districts. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has directed officials to gear up for the impact. Red alerts cover several coastal districts.

Satellite imagery shows a compact system with organised convection. Maximum significant wave height has reached around 7 metres. The track guidance from multiple models converges on landfall within roughly 24 hours of the 1 November evening position, with high confidence on the path though intensity forecasts show some spread between 110 and 150 kmph peak winds.

This is the fourth named storm of the 2026 North Indian Ocean cyclone season. Previous systems have already tested coastal preparedness along the eastern seaboard. Residents in low-lying areas of Prakasam, Nellore and neighbouring districts have been advised to stay indoors or move to shelters as the system approaches. Fishing operations remain suspended in the affected zones of the Bay of Bengal.

The storm does not currently threaten Myanmar. Myanmar’s Department of Meteorology and Hydrology has coded it at yellow stage and noted its westward movement away from its coasts. Focus remains on the Indian shoreline where the combination of wind, rain and surge poses the main risk to infrastructure, agriculture and lives.

Local administrations have pre-positioned National Disaster Response Force teams and opened relief camps. Power utilities and telecom operators are on standby for outages. The exact timing and intensity of landfall will determine the scale of disruption along the coast between Chennai and Visakhapatnam.

Updates from IMD and state disaster management authorities will continue through the night of 2 November. Coastal communities are monitoring the system’s movement closely as it closes the distance to land.