Cyclone Murasu to hit Andhra Pradesh early on November 3 with gusts of 120 kmph, days after Arnab killed seven
Severe Cyclonic Storm Murasu was 80 km from Nellore late on Monday, slowing as it nears land. Odisha has moved 1.6 lakh people; 30 flights are cancelled.
At a glance
- Late Monday: Murasu was about 80 km east-northeast of Nellore and 110 km southeast of Ongole, slowing to 12 kmph. The IMD still expects it to cross the coast between 11:30pm Monday and 4am Tuesday IST.
- About 30 flights have been cancelled at Chennai, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam and Tirupati, South Coast Railway has cancelled nine trains, and Odisha has moved more than 1.6 lakh people to safety.
- The IMD has a red alert for extremely heavy rain in coastal Andhra Pradesh on Monday. Schools and colleges are closed in Chennai, Tiruvallur, NTR, Palnadu, Nellore and Gudur.
- Cyclonic Storm Murasu formed at 11:30am IST on Sunday, about 560 km east-southeast of Chennai and 630 km east-southeast of Nellore.
- It is forecast to become a severe cyclonic storm by Monday morning and cross the south Andhra Pradesh coast between Nellore and Narsapur.
- Landfall is expected between 11:30pm on Monday and 4am on Tuesday IST, with winds of 100-110 kmph gusting to 120 kmph.
- It is the second storm to threaten this coast in under a week; Cyclone Arnab killed seven people and caused estimated losses above Rs 4,600 crore.
Latest, Monday night (1:50am PKT Tuesday): Severe Cyclonic Storm Murasu was about 80 km east-northeast of Nellore, 80 km east-southeast of Kavali and 110 km southeast of Ongole in the IMD's latest bulletin on Monday night, and it has slowed sharply, to about 12 kmph, as it turns north-northwest towards the coast. The IMD has not changed its forecast: the storm should cross the south Andhra Pradesh coast between Nellore and Narsapur between 11:30pm on Monday and 4am on Tuesday IST (11pm to 3:30am Pakistan time), with winds of 100-110 kmph gusting to 120 kmph. The US Joint Typhoon Warning Center expects the storm to stall near the shore, which would mean a slow, drawn-out landfall and more hours of rain over the same districts. No landfall and no deaths from Murasu had been reported by 1:50am PKT.
Travel is badly hit. At least 19 domestic flights were cancelled on Monday at Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam and Tirupati, including 10 IndiGo and two Air India Express flights at Vijayawada, on top of 11 cancellations at Chennai. South Coast Railway has cancelled nine trains on November 2 and 3, among them the Vijayawada–Gudur express (12743/12744) and passenger services between Vijayawada and Gudur, Guntur and Tenali, and Tenali, Repalle and Markapur. Nellore's district collector, Himanshu Shukla, told residents to stay indoors and said cyclone shelters are open for anyone whose home floods.
Odisha, which is not in the storm's direct path but is still recovering from Arnab, had moved more than 1.6 lakh people to safety by Monday night and aims to reach 3.33 lakh, Special Relief Commissioner Rajesh P. Patil said, warning that the landslide risk has grown after almost a week of rain. Ganjam district alone has evacuated 1,51,434 people and opened 1,139 shelters. Karnataka's government said it is sending 500 skilled power workers to help Andhra Pradesh restore electricity once the storm passes.
| Late Monday | Murasu |
|---|---|
| Category | Severe cyclonic storm |
| Distance from Nellore | About 80 km (east-northeast) |
| Distance from Ongole | About 110 km (southeast) |
| Speed of movement | About 12 kmph, north-northwest |
| Forecast crossing | Nellore–Narsapur, 11:30pm Mon to 4am Tue IST |
| Flights cancelled | About 30 (Chennai, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Tirupati) |
| Trains cancelled | 9 (South Coast Railway, Nov 2-3) |
Monday afternoon: Flights are now being cancelled across the region. Chennai airport has cancelled 11 flights, and with cancellations at Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam the total has passed 20. Travellers flying to or from Andhra Pradesh and Chennai on Monday night and Tuesday morning should check with their airline before leaving for the airport.
The IMD still expects Murasu to cross the coast between Nellore and Narsapur, close to Ongole, as a severe cyclonic storm with winds of 100-110 kmph gusting to 120 kmph, between 11:30pm on Monday and 4am on Tuesday (11pm to 3:30am Pakistan time). Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said 6,000 to 8,000 electricity poles could be brought down, a serious threat to power supply in the coastal districts. Odisha has pre-positioned more than 300 rescue teams in its vulnerable southern districts and is speeding up evacuations. No deaths from Murasu have been reported.
Monday morning: Murasu is now a severe cyclonic storm and has closed to about 210 km east-southeast of Nellore, 260 km southeast of Ongole, 200 km east-northeast of Chennai and 270 km south-southeast of Machilipatnam, the IMD said at 5:30am IST on Monday. It is moving west-northwest at about 25 kmph and is still expected to come ashore near Ongole, between Nellore and Narsapur, between 11:30pm on Monday and 4am on Tuesday.
A storm surge of 1 to 1.5 metres is forecast, with Bapatla, Guntur, Krishna and Prakasam districts most exposed. Evacuations from low-lying coastal areas of Andhra Pradesh are under way and fishing is suspended. Three more NDRF teams have been sent from Arakkonam in Tamil Nadu, and fire crews and heavy machinery are in place in coastal districts. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has ordered bulletins every four hours and wants power restored within 48 hours of the storm passing, with about 15,000 electricity poles across 12 districts considered at risk.
Odisha's Malkangiri district has shut schools and colleges from November 2 to 4. Cautionary signals are up at Visakhapatnam, Kakinada, Gangavaram, Krishnapatnam, Machilipatnam, Nizampatnam and Vadarevu ports, and fishermen have been told to stay off the south-west Bay of Bengal until the morning of November 4. People in Andhra Pradesh who need help can call 112, 1070 or 1800-425-0101.
| Closed on Monday | Area |
|---|---|
| Schools and colleges, Andhra Pradesh | NTR (Vijayawada), Palnadu, Nellore, Gudur |
| Schools and colleges, Tamil Nadu | Chennai, Tiruvallur |
| Schools, colleges and anganwadis, Odisha | Malkangiri, through November 4; other southern districts through November 3 |
Ten IndiGo flights at Vijayawada airport were cancelled on Monday. In Odisha, winds along the coast should reach 50-60 kmph from Monday evening, with the heaviest rain on November 3 and 4 in Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri, Gajapati and Ganjam.
Sunday night: Murasu had sped up to 27 kmph and was about 480 km east-southeast of Chennai and 550 km from Nellore at 2:30pm IST on Sunday. The landfall forecast has not changed: between Nellore and Narsapur, between 11:30pm on Monday, November 2, and 4am on Tuesday, November 3, with winds of 100-110 kmph gusting to 120 kmph.
Chennai and Tiruvallur districts have closed all schools and colleges on Monday. The IMD issued a red alert for extremely heavy rain in coastal Andhra Pradesh on Monday and an orange alert for Rayalaseema, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Karaikal and Telangana. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has ordered residents in vulnerable places moved to shelters, with six NDRF and seven SDRF teams deployed. People in Andhra Pradesh can call the helplines 112 and 1070 in an emergency. In Odisha, Nabarangpur has cancelled government staff leave until November 5, and precautionary evacuations have begun in vulnerable areas of the southern districts.
A new cyclone is heading for India's Andhra Pradesh coast, less than a week after the last one tore through it. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said Cyclonic Storm Murasu formed over the Bay of Bengal at 11:30am on Sunday and is expected to cross the south Andhra coast between Nellore and Narsapur between 11:30pm on Monday and 4am on Tuesday, November 3, with sustained winds of 100-110 kmph and gusts of up to 120 kmph.
The forecast has hardened quickly. On Saturday, the IMD's director general, Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, was still talking about winds of 80-90 kmph. Sunday's bulletin says the system should reach severe cyclonic storm strength by Monday morning.
Where Murasu was on Sunday, and where it is going
At 11:30am IST on Sunday the storm's centre lay near latitude 12.1°N, longitude 85.3°E, and was moving west-northwest at about 23 kmph. The IMD gave these distances from the centre:
| City | Distance from storm centre |
|---|---|
| Chennai, Tamil Nadu | 560 km east-southeast |
| Nellore, Andhra Pradesh | 630 km east-southeast |
| Machilipatnam, Andhra Pradesh | 640 km southeast |
| Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh | 660 km south-southeast |
| Ongole, Andhra Pradesh | 680 km east-southeast |
The IMD expects the storm to keep tracking west-northwest, then turn northwest as it nears land. The Nellore-Narsapur stretch is long, so the exact crossing point should become clearer in Monday's bulletins.
Latest on Monday: alerts, teams and school closures
Six National Disaster Response Force teams and seven State Disaster Response Force teams are in place in Andhra Pradesh, and authorities have started moving people out of low-lying areas. Red and orange warnings cover districts including Krishna, Guntur, Bapatla, Prakasam and Nellore.
The rain alerts have widened beyond the coast. Telangana has an orange alert in six districts and a yellow alert in five. In Tamil Nadu, Chennai and Tiruvallur are under an orange alert, and schools in some districts have been given Monday off; parents in Chennai should check the district collector's announcement.
Arnab's damage is still being counted
The timing is what worries officials most. Severe Cyclonic Storm Arnab came ashore on the same coast last week with sustained winds of 125-135 kmph. It killed seven people and damaged crops, roads, power lines and telecom networks. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu put preliminary losses at about Rs 4,600 crore, and a central government team is in the state assessing the damage.
| Cyclone Arnab | Cyclone Murasu (forecast) | |
|---|---|---|
| Landfall | Late October, near Narsapur | Night of November 2-3, between Nellore and Narsapur |
| Sustained winds | 125-135 kmph | 100-110 kmph |
| Gusts | Not available | Up to 120 kmph |
| Deaths | 7 | None reported so far |
Murasu is forecast to be the weaker of the two. But it would be hitting ground that is already soaked, with repairs unfinished in some districts.
Rain alerts from Tamil Nadu to Odisha
Heavy to very heavy rain is forecast over coastal Andhra Pradesh, Yanam and Rayalaseema on November 2 and 3, with extremely heavy falls in a few places. The IMD's alert also covers the north Tamil Nadu coast. Tamil Nadu's weather centre placed Tiruvallur district, on Chennai's northwestern edge, under an orange alert for Sunday, and the state has told district collectors to stay vigilant.
South Odisha is expected to get heavy rain on November 3 and 4. Although the storm is not aimed at Odisha, the state is preparing because Arnab set off damaging landslides in Gajapati and Kandhamal districts. Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said people the district administrations judge to be at risk will be persuaded to move to safer places, and that collectors have finished advance preparations.
If you live on this coast
- Fishermen: the IMD has told boats to stay off the sea until at least Wednesday afternoon, and those already out to return. Mohapatra warned that parts of the Bay of Bengal could become extremely rough and that conditions could be disastrous for fishing boats and small vessels.
- Low-lying and landslide-prone areas: expect evacuation calls from district officials, especially where Arnab already caused damage.
- Travel: plan around the night of Monday, November 2, when winds should peak along the coast. Check with rail and air operators before setting out, as disruption is possible on routes through coastal Andhra Pradesh.
Andhra Pradesh has not published an overall evacuation figure. The next IMD bulletins should confirm when and where the centre crosses the coast.
Questions people are asking
When and where will Cyclone Murasu make landfall?
The India Meteorological Department expects it to cross the south Andhra Pradesh coast between Nellore and Narsapur between 11:30pm on Monday, November 2 and 4am on Tuesday, November 3, IST.
Which areas will get heavy rain from Cyclone Murasu?
Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Yanam and Rayalaseema are forecast to get heavy to very heavy rain on November 2 and 3. North Tamil Nadu is under alert, and south Odisha is expected to get heavy rain on November 3 and 4.
