Published Nov 03, 2026 | 8:08 AM ⚊ Updated Nov 03, 2026 | 8:12 AM
Heavy rain was reported in Puducherry and North Tamil Nadu due to the cyclone's impact.
Cyclone Murasu made landfall near Andhra Pradesh’s Ongole in the early hours of Tuesday, November 3, with a maximum wind speed of 120 kmph reported at the landfall point.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the landfall process began at 1:00 AM on Tuesday, and the severe cyclonic storm crossed the southern coast of Andhra Pradesh (between Nellore and Narsapur) between 3:30 AM and 5:30 AM. Wind speeds of 100–110 kmph and gusts of up to 120 kmph were reported at the landfall point.
The cyclone is expected to move North-northwestwards and weaken gradually into a cyclonic storm (wind speed reaching 80-90 kmph gusting to 100 kmph) by noon and further into a deep depression (wind speed reaching 55-65 kmph gusting to 75 kmph) by midnight of Tuesday, said IMD.
The Severe Cyclonic Storm “Murasu” [Pronunciation: Murasu]” over Westcentral Bay of Bengal close to south Andhra Pradesh coast moved north-northwestwards with a speed of 08 kmph during past 06 hours, crossed south Andhra Pradesh coast between Nellore and Narasapur close to Ongole (near Latitude 15.53°N and Longitude 80.22°E) during 0330 to 0530 hours IST with the wind speed of 100-110 kmph gusting to 120 kmph, and lay centered at 0530 hours IST of today the 03rd November, 2026 over south coastal Andhra Pradesh, near Latitude 15.6°N and Longitude 80.2°E close to Ongole, about 40 km southwest of Bapatla (Andhra Pradesh), 80 km north-northeast of Kavali (Andhra Pradesh), and 120 km west-southwest of Machilipatnam (Andhra Pradesh) and 130 km north of Nellore (Andhra Pradesh).
It is likely to continue to move North-northwestwards and weaken gradually into a cyclonic storm (wind speed reaching 80-90 kmph gusting to 100 kmph) by noon and further into a deep depression (wind speed reaching 55-65 kmph gusting to 75 kmph) by midnight of today, the 3rd November,2026.
It is under the continuous surveillance of Doppler Weather Radars at Machilipatnam and Visakhapatnam.
— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) November 3, 2026
The strong winds battered the coastal region, uprooting trees and electric poles. No casualties have been reported so far.
In Ongole, a statue of Andhra Kesari Tanguturi Prakasam Pantulu at the Prakasam Bhavan in the Prakasam district Collectorate premises collapsed after a tree fell on it due to the strong winds.
Heavy rain was reported in Puducherry and North Tamil Nadu due to the cyclone’s impact, while Andhra Pradesh’s Krishna, Guntur, Bapatla, Prakasam, Markapuram, and Nellore districts were also expected to receive heavy to very heavy rain, with extremely heavy falls in isolated places.
The IMD also forecast very heavy rains in parts of Eluru, East Godavari, West Godavari, NTR, Palnadu, Tirupati, and Chittoor districts and isolated places in Alluri Sitharama Raju, Polavaram, Kakinada, Konaseema, Nandyal, YSR Kadapa, and Annamayya districts.
In light of the cyclone, six NDRF and seven SDRF teams were kept on standby. The state government, Real Time Governance Society (RTGS), and disaster management agencies are continuously monitoring the situation. Officials are advising the public to remain vigilant, follow official warnings, and stay safely indoors.
Officials have warned that rainfall in the catchment areas of the Nagarjuna Sagar and Pulichintala projects could trigger flood inflows of around 13 to 15 TMC. The government had ordered the evacuation of thousands of people from low-lying and flood-prone areas.
Cyclone Murasu formed as a deep depression over the west-central Bay of Bengal on Sunday, November 1. It came close on the heels of Cyclone Arnab, which left at least seven dead and wreaked havoc in Andhra Pradesh.
Also Read: After Arnab, Andhra Pradesh braces for another cyclonic storm
To help people in Cyclone Murasu-affected areas report their problems to the government, ‘Mana Mitra’ WhatsApp governance services have been made available. Citizens can report issues such as power outages, fallen trees or collapsed walls, and waterlogging via the number 9552300009.
Users need to send a ‘Hi’ message to this number and select ‘Murasu Cyclone Issues’ from the service options. Subsequently, they must choose the ‘Report Issue’, ‘Confirm’, and ‘Registration’ options, and enter their name, district, mandal, and details of the problem. Photos can also be uploaded if necessary. RTGS officials stated that complaints will be forwarded to the concerned officials for prompt resolution.
For emergency assistance, officials advised the public to contact the toll-free numbers 112, 1070, and 18004250101.
(Edited by Fayisa CA)
