Severe Cyclone Murasu makes landfall near Ongole in Andhra Pradesh
The storm is bringing gale-force winds and heavy rainfall to the South Coastal Andhra Pradesh region.
The landfall process of Severe Cyclonic Storm Murasu commenced near Ongole at 1 a.m. on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, according to The Hindu. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported that the inner spiral band entered South Coastal Andhra Pradesh, with the wall cloud region positioned very close to the coast.
Wind speeds of 100-110 kmph, gusting to 120 kmph, are expected to prevail along the coast near the landfall point until morning. The IMD has also warned of a storm surge that may inundate low-lying areas in Bapatla, Krishna, and Prakasam districts.
In Prakasam district, Kothapatnam recorded 74.7 mm of rain as of 1 a.m., while Ongole city recorded 18 mm. Fishermen have hauled 400 boats ashore as sea waves intensified near Kothapatnam.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu cancelled a scheduled visit to Delhi on Monday to oversee preparedness. He directed the Energy Department to restore power within 48 hours of any damage, as officials warned that between 6,000 and 8,000 electricity poles could be damaged.
The Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA) has deployed six National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams and seven State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams to affected districts. Three additional NDRF teams from Tamil Nadu have also been dispatched to the state for relief operations.
In Odisha, the government has declared a high alert in southern districts, ordering evacuations in parts of Ganjam. Meanwhile, schools and colleges in NTR and Guntur districts in Andhra Pradesh, as well as in Chennai and Tiruvallur in Tamil Nadu, have been closed.