Severe Cyclonic Storm Murasu Nears Landfall on South Andhra Pradesh Coast

Severe Cyclonic Storm Murasu lay centered about 110 km east-southeast of Nellore on 2 November 2026, with the India Meteorological Department forecasting landfall on the south Andhra Pradesh coast between Nellore and Narsapur, south of Ongole, between 2330 IST on 2 November and 0400 IST on 3 November.

The storm carried sustained winds of 100-110 kmph gusting to 120 kmph. It had moved west-northwest at 14 kmph in the preceding six hours. IMD bulletins placed it near 14.2°N 81.0°E at 1330 IST.

A storm surge of 1.5-2.0 m above astronomical tide is likely to inundate low-lying areas of south coastal Andhra Pradesh. The peak surge is expected over Bapatla and the Krishna and Prakasam districts. Surge heights may exceed 0.5 m from the evening of 2 November, peaking at 1.0-1.5 m overnight into early 3 November.

Schools and colleges closed in Chennai, Tiruvallur and several Andhra Pradesh districts on 2 November as heavy rain arrived ahead of the system. An orange alert covered six Telangana districts and a yellow alert five more. Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh authorities rushed power restoration teams and equipment toward the impact zone.

Fishermen received instructions not to venture into the west-central Bay of Bengal until the afternoon of 4 November. Seas were forecast high to very high, with waves of 9-14 m near the coast. Great Danger signals were hoisted at ports including Nizampatnam, Vadarevu, Machilipatnam and Krishnapatnam.

The name Murasu, meaning war drum, was assigned by the regional naming list. The system intensified from a deep depression on 1 November. Its track kept it south of major cities such as Visakhapatnam while directing the strongest winds and surge toward the Nellore-Ongole stretch.

State governments activated evacuation plans in vulnerable coastal pockets. Odisha monitored the system for possible effects even though landfall lay farther south. Power and transport disruptions were expected along the coast through 3 November.

IMD continued hourly updates. The agency advised residents in low-lying areas to move to safer locations before the surge peak. Agricultural losses and coastal flooding remain the primary risks once the center crosses the shoreline.

Previous Bay of Bengal cyclones of similar intensity have produced localized flooding and wind damage over a 100-150 km stretch of coast. Murasu’s relatively compact circulation and northwest track limited the northern extent of its strongest effects compared with systems that recurve into Odisha or West Bengal.

Authorities in Nellore, Prakasam and Bapatla districts prepared temporary shelters and prepositioned relief supplies. The timing of landfall near midnight reduced daytime visibility risks but complicated nighttime evacuations.

The storm’s position on 2 November afternoon placed it closer to the coast than earlier morning forecasts. Continued west-northwest movement kept the projected landfall window intact. Any slowdown could shift the exact crossing point a few tens of kilometers north or south within the Nellore-Narsapur corridor.

Residents reported increasing rain and wind from late morning. Coastal roads saw reduced traffic as advisories took effect. Port operations at affected facilities were restricted under the higher danger signals.

The India Meteorological Department maintains the system as a Severe Cyclonic Storm through landfall. Post-landfall weakening is expected as the circulation moves inland over Andhra Pradesh, with heavy rain continuing in the immediate path and reducing farther west.

Coastal Andhra Pradesh has experienced multiple cyclonic systems in recent seasons. Preparedness levels in the Nellore-Ongole belt reflect lessons from earlier landfalls that produced both wind and surge damage. The current forecast surge of 1.5-2 m remains the key variable for inundation depth in low-lying villages and agricultural land.

Monitoring continues through the night of 2-3 November. The next critical window is the actual crossing and the immediate post-landfall rainfall pattern.