fall near Ongole in Andhra Pradesh's Prakasam district in the early hours of Tuesday, 3 November 2026, with maximum sustained winds of 110-120 kmph at the landfall point. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had tracked the system over the west-central Bay of Bengal and issued wind, rainfall and storm-surge warnings for the south Andhra coast. The Hindu reported that the landfall process began near Ongole at about 1 am on 3 November and, as per updates received at 5:30 am, was expected to be completed in about two more hours; the system was moving at about 9 kmph.
What the IMD bulletin said
- In its Bulletin No. 3 of 2 November 2026, the IMD placed Murasu over the west-central Bay of Bengal near latitude 14.25°N and longitude 80.95°E, about 110 km east-southeast of Nellore and 170 km southeast of Ongole.
- The maximum sustained wind speed near the centre was 100-110 kmph, gusting to 120 kmph, and the system was moving west-northwestwards at about 14 kmph.
- The IMD forecast landfall between Nellore and Narsapur, to the south of Ongole, between 11:30 pm IST on 2 November and 4 am IST on 3 November 2026.
- A storm surge of about 1.5-2.0 metres above the astronomical tide was forecast to inundate low-lying areas of the south coastal Andhra Pradesh, with the maximum peak surge expected over Bapatla and also over Krishna and Prakasam districts.
Impact and preparedness
- At least 19 domestic flights across Vijayawada, Tirupati and Visakhapatnam airports were cancelled on Monday as the cyclone approached the coast.
- Heavy rainfall was forecast across West Godavari, Eluru, Krishna, NTR, Guntur, Bapatla, Palnadu, Markapuram, Prakasam and Nellore districts; officials told the Chief Minister that Palnadu could receive around 30 cm of rain and Prakasam around 24 cm.
- Several thatched houses collapsed and residents were stranded at Samatha Nagar in Ongole, where the district administration began rescue operations; no power disruptions were reported as the cyclone made landfall near Kothapatnam.
- Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu reviewed preparedness, directed officials to keep people indoors and ensure the safety of nearly 6,800 tanks across six potentially affected districts; about 31,000 electricity poles were dispatched from Srikakulam to Krishna district for restoration work.
Why this matters for UPSC
- Cyclone classification: On the IMD's cyclone intensity scale, a system with sustained winds of 89-117 kmph is a Severe Cyclonic Storm; Murasu, at 100-110 kmph gusting to 120 kmph, sat in this category. The scale runs from depression and deep depression through cyclonic storm, severe, very severe and extremely severe stages before a super cyclonic storm.
- Naming: Tropical cyclones over the North Indian Ocean are named from a list prepared by the WMO/ESCAP Panel on Tropical Cyclones, whose member countries around the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea contribute names in turn.
- Storm surge: The abnormal rise of sea water above the astronomical tide is often the deadliest element of a landfalling cyclone; the 1.5-2.0 m surge forecast for Bapatla, Krishna and Prakasam made low-lying coastal habitations the priority for evacuation.
- Season and coast: The post-monsoon months of October and November are the peak cyclone season for the Bay of Bengal, and Andhra Pradesh's long coastline makes it one of the most exposed states, a recurring theme in GS-I geography and GS-III disaster management answers.
Sources
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