Cyclone Murasu now 290 km from Nellore, likely to hit Andhra coast by Tuesday; Odisha, Tamil Nadu brace for heavy rain

Cyclone Murasu is a powerful rotating storm over the Bay of Bengal. The India Meteorological Department classified it as a severe cyclonic storm as it intensified near India’s eastern coast. That warning matters because strong winds and heavy rain can threaten homes, crops, electricity networks, transport and lives.

In IMD terminology, a severe cyclonic storm has maximum sustained winds of about 89 to 117 kmph. Murasu was forecast to bring sustained winds of 100 to 110 kmph at landfall, with gusts reaching 120 kmph. Gusts are short bursts and can be stronger than the storm’s sustained wind.

The storm was expected to make landfall between Nellore and Narsapur, near Ongole, around November 3. Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Odisha therefore increased emergency preparations. Officials planned evacuations, relief operations and advance movement of personnel and equipment into vulnerable areas.

At 2.30am IST on November 2, Murasu lay about 290 km east-southeast of Nellore and 330 km southeast of Ongole. The IMD reported that it was moving northwestwards at 20 kmph. These measurements showed that the storm was approaching Andhra Pradesh quickly and that coastal districts had little time to complete preparations.

The forecast placed landfall between Nellore and Narsapur, near Ongole. Other parts of the report described the expected crossing as near Bapatla. Timing estimates varied slightly, placing it around midnight on Monday or during the early hours of Tuesday, November 3, and also describing landfall as occurring on the morning of November 3.

The expected landfall zone included Andhra’s central and southern coastal areas. Officials prepared for strong winds, heavy rain, flooding risks and rescue work. The storm’s northwestward movement meant conditions could worsen rapidly before and during landfall.

Murasu was expected to be powerful enough to produce damaging winds and intense rainfall across a broad region. At landfall, winds were forecast between 100 and 110 kmph, with gusts reaching 120 kmph. Andhra Pradesh faced the most direct threat, especially its south and central coastal districts.

The storm was expected to bring moderate to heavy rain on November 2, with extremely heavy showers in isolated areas. Heavy to very heavy rainfall was forecast in several Andhra areas on November 3 and 4. Twenty mandals were identified as likely to receive extremely heavy rain, including nine in Eluru, five each in Krishna and NTR, and one in Bapatla.

Tamil Nadu placed Chennai and Tiruvallur under an isolated heavy-to-very-heavy rain forecast. Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Ranipet, Vellore and the Nilgiris could also receive heavy rain. Odisha raised alerts in southern districts, including Ganjam, and prepared for evacuations.

Murasu threatened several kinds of disruption. Its strong winds could topple infrastructure and interrupt electricity, while intense rain could flood low-lying areas and make roads, homes and rescue work harder to manage. The Andhra Pradesh government warned of heavy to very heavy rain and winds reaching 110 kmph during landfall.

Preliminary estimates indicated that strong winds could damage around 15,128 electricity poles across 12 districts. That raised the prospect of power cuts and difficult communications. Officials also identified 20 mandals for extremely heavy rain, increasing concern about flooding and threats to people in exposed locations.

The article does not give final damage figures for Murasu because landfall was still expected. It does report the earlier cyclone Arnab’s impact in Odisha: six deaths, 10 missing people, 1,672 damaged houses and 75,388 hectares of affected cropland. Those figures showed the region’s vulnerability before Murasu arrived.

Low-lying areas can collect floodwater quickly during intense rain, while hilly regions may face dangerous runoff and slope instability. Strong winds can also damage houses, trees, power lines and roads. Evacuating residents before conditions deteriorate gives authorities more time to move people to safer places and reduces pressure on rescue teams.

Odisha directed officials to evacuate people from low-lying areas and hilly regions, especially in southern districts such as Ganjam. Andhra Pradesh ordered adequate manpower and equipment for relief and rescue operations. Officials were also told to move essential personnel and materials into vulnerable areas in advance.

Tamil Nadu asked district collectors to mobilise administrative machinery and report incidents immediately to the State Emergency Operations Centre. Andhra Pradesh issued rainfall and wind warnings, while Odisha raised a high alert. These steps help governments respond faster, protect exposed communities and restore essential services after the storm passes.

Cyclone Arnab and Cyclone Murasu arrived unusually close together in the article’s timeline. Arnab made landfall along the Andhra Pradesh coast on October 28, while Murasu was approaching only days later. This left communities and authorities dealing with a fresh threat soon after the earlier storm.

Arnab was reported to have produced winds of up to 150 kmph. Murasu was forecast to make landfall with winds of 100 to 110 kmph and gusts up to 120 kmph. Although its predicted winds were lower, Murasu was expected to bring heavy to very heavy rain and extremely heavy showers in parts of Andhra Pradesh.

Arnab had already caused serious impacts in Odisha. The death toll reached six, 10 people remained missing, 1,672 houses were damaged and 75,388 hectares of cropland were affected. Odisha also announced a special relief package, while preparing again for Murasu.

The article focuses on Murasu’s forecast and emergency response, not on cyclone formation. In general, tropical cyclones develop over warm ocean water when moist air rises, creating lower pressure near the surface. Surrounding air then moves inward and rises, while Earth’s rotation helps organize the system into a rotating storm.

Warm water can supply more heat and moisture, allowing the storm to intensify when upper-air conditions support rising air and circulation. A cyclone’s winds and rain become concentrated around its centre. The storm can strengthen or weaken as these conditions change. It can also interact with other weather systems.

Near land, a storm often loses access to warm ocean energy and encounters friction, which can weaken it. However, its track and intensity can still change because of steering winds, dry air, ocean temperatures and land interaction. For Murasu, the article reported northwestward movement at 20 kmph and forecast landfall near Andhra Pradesh.