Severe Cyclonic Storm Murasu Nears Landfall on Andhra Pradesh Coast

The India Meteorological Department placed Severe Cyclonic Storm Murasu over the west-central Bay of Bengal on 2 November 2026, roughly 110 kilometres east-southeast of Nellore and 150 kilometres north-northeast of Chennai. The system moved west-northwest at about 14 kilometres per hour in the six hours before the 1430 IST observation.

IMD expects landfall between Nellore and Narsapur, south of Ongole, sometime between 2330 IST on 2 November and 0400 IST on 3 November. Sustained winds at landfall are forecast at 100-110 kmph, with gusts reaching 120 kmph. After crossing the coast the system is projected to weaken as it moves inland.

A storm surge of 1.5 to 2.0 metres above the astronomical tide is very likely to inundate low-lying stretches of south coastal Andhra Pradesh. The highest surge is expected over Bapatla and parts of Krishna and Prakasam districts. Surge heights may exceed 0.5 metres from the evening of 2 November onward, peaking overnight.

District collectors in Chennai and Tiruvallur ordered schools and colleges closed on 2 November because of heavy rain. Orange alerts cover six districts in Telangana and yellow alerts cover five more. Authorities in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and parts of Odisha have also closed educational institutions as a precaution. Extremely heavy rainfall is likely at isolated places over coastal Andhra Pradesh on 2 and 3 November, with heavy to very heavy falls extending into Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Odisha and Chhattisgarh.

Murasu is the name contributed by India under the regional cyclone-naming system; the word means war drum. The storm intensified from a deep depression on 1 November. Dry north-westerly air from the peninsula has limited further strengthening, and confidence in the current track and intensity is rated high by IMD. Models agree on the northwestward path but diverge slightly on exact landfall intensity.

Fishermen have been advised to stay ashore. Coastal districts are preparing evacuation centres and stockpiling relief material. Power and communication lines in the landfall zone face disruption from the combination of high winds and heavy rain. Low-lying villages near the expected surge zone have received instructions to move to higher ground before midnight.

The previous major system in the same basin was monitored closely by the Regional Specialised Meteorological Centre in New Delhi. Murasu’s relatively compact circulation and the approaching upper-level trough after landfall should accelerate its weakening once it moves inland, but the immediate coastal impact remains the primary concern for the next 24 hours.