Cyclone Murasu expected to make landfall on Andhra Pradesh coast
Severe cyclonic storm Murasu is forecast to hit the coast between Nellore and Narsapur with winds reaching 120 kmph.
Cyclone Murasu is expected to cross the south Andhra Pradesh coast between Nellore and Narsapur between 11.30 pm on November 2 and 4 am on November 3, 2026, according to The Hindu. The severe cyclonic storm is forecast to bring winds of 100-110 kmph, with gusts reaching 120 kmph at the time of landfall.
P.L.N. Murthy, Head of the Cyclone Warning Centre, Visakhapatnam, said a storm surge of 1.5 to 2 metres could flood low-lying areas in South Coastal Andhra Pradesh. The highest surges are anticipated in Bapatla and sections of Krishna and Prakasam districts.
The Andhra Pradesh government has issued alerts for Bapatla, Palnadu, Markapuram, SPSR Nellore, and Prakasam.
In Odisha, Special Relief Commissioner Rajesh P Patil said the risk of landslides has increased in Gajapati due to a week of continuous rain. Officials in Odisha have also moved 1.50 lakh people to safety in Ganjam district. Prakhar Jain, managing director of the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority, told Reuters that approximately 2,000 people have been evacuated, with plans to move 30,000 people.
The storm has caused flight cancellations at several airports. At Vijayawada, Gannavaram, and Tirupati, at least 19 domestic flights were cancelled on Monday. In Chennai, schools remained closed on Monday as the IMD issued an orange alert for very heavy rainfall.
The Real Time Governance Society (RTGS) in Andhra Pradesh has launched a grievance mechanism via the ‘Mana Mitra’ WhatsApp platform. Residents can report issues like power outages or waterlogging by messaging 9552300009.