Cyclone Murasu LIVE Tracker: Where is the storm now? Live location, path, and landfall time on the Andhra coast

Cyclone Murasu is a severe cyclonic storm over the Westcentral Bay of Bengal. The IMD’s 1:03 PM bulletin on November 2 placed it about 160 kilometres east-southeast of Nellore. It was moving west-northwest and mattered because landfall threatened coastal Andhra Pradesh with powerful winds and heavy rain.

The storm was also about 180 kilometres northeast of Chennai, 210 kilometres southeast of Ongole and 240 kilometres south of Machilipatnam. It had travelled west-northwest at 22 kmph during the previous six hours. Forecast positions showed it continuing northwest toward the Andhra coast.

The IMD expected landfall between Nellore and Narsapur, close to Ongole, between 11:30 PM on November 2 and 4:00 AM on November 3. Winds were forecast at 100–110 kmph, with gusts up to 120 kmph. After landfall, the system was expected to weaken inland.

A severe cyclonic storm is a tropical weather system classified by its sustained wind speed. Under India’s IMD scale, it has sustained winds of about 89–117 kmph. A depression is much weaker, with sustained winds of roughly 31–49 kmph. The categories help communicate the storm’s strength and likely hazards.

Murasu illustrated the difference clearly. The forecast gave it sustained winds of 100–110 kmph, with gusts reaching 120 kmph, while it remained a severe cyclonic storm. By November 4, its forecast winds had fallen to 35–45 kmph, with gusts up to 55 kmph, placing it in the depression category.

That change matters for warnings and preparation. A severe cyclonic storm can bring damaging winds and intense rain near the coast. A depression is still dangerous because flooding and heavy rain may continue, but its wind threat is substantially lower. Murasu was expected to weaken steadily after landfall.

Sustained wind speed is the storm’s continuing wind strength, while a gust is a shorter burst that can be considerably stronger. Both figures matter. Sustained winds indicate the storm’s overall intensity, while gusts help show the sudden force that buildings, trees, power lines and vehicles may face.

For Murasu, the IMD forecast sustained winds of 100–110 kmph. It also warned of gusts up to 120 kmph. The forecast track kept those speeds through the expected landfall period near the south Andhra Pradesh coast, between Nellore and Narsapur.

The storm was expected to weaken afterward. By November 3, the forecast reduced its sustained winds to 70–80 kmph, with gusts up to 90 kmph, then to 55–65 kmph and gusts up to 75 kmph. By November 4, it was forecast as a depression with 35–45 kmph winds and 55 kmph gusts.

Cyclone Murasu could disrupt daily life through strong winds, intense rain and flooding. Coastal Andhra Pradesh was forecast to receive light to moderate rain at most places, heavy to very heavy rain at a few places, and extremely heavy rain at isolated locations on November 2 and 3. Such rain can overwhelm drainage and interrupt travel, work and services.

The warnings extended beyond the immediate landfall zone. Tamil Nadu faced heavy to very heavy rain at isolated places on November 2 and similar isolated heavy rainfall on November 3. The article also reported rainfall alerts for South Odisha, Telangana and Chhattisgarh, with heavy or very heavy rain possible in affected areas.

The most serious conditions were expected around landfall, when winds could reach 100–110 kmph and gusts 120 kmph. Communities could face fallen trees, power interruptions, flooding and difficult road conditions. The IMD forecast heavy rain in isolated coastal Andhra locations even on November 4, after the storm weakened.

Tropical cyclones usually weaken after moving over land because they lose access to the warm ocean that helps maintain their circulation. Land also creates greater friction and disrupts the storm’s organised wind flow. This general process explains why Murasu’s forecast intensity declined after crossing the Andhra Pradesh coast.

The IMD forecast Murasu at 100–110 kmph near landfall. It then expected the system to become a cyclonic storm with 70–80 kmph winds, a deep depression with 55–65 kmph winds, and finally a depression with 35–45 kmph winds by November 4.

The storm’s direction was also expected to change. The article says Murasu would lie close to a ridge after landfall and come under an upper-tropospheric trough. These features were expected to prevent westward movement and help the system curve northward and north-northeastward as it weakened inland.

The India Meteorological Department tracks a cyclone by monitoring where it is, how quickly it moves, which direction it travels and how strong its winds are. It then updates forecasts as new observations arrive. In the article, the IMD used a bulletin time, coordinates, nearby-city distances and movement speed to describe Murasu’s current position.

For example, the November 2 bulletin placed Murasu at 14.1°N, 81.4°E and said it had moved west-northwest at 22 kmph during six hours. The forecast listed later positions, including 15.1°N, 80.1°E, and paired each point with an intensity category and wind range.

This approach lets officials estimate landfall timing and likely hazards. The IMD forecast landfall near Ongole between Nellore and Narsapur, then predicted weakening from severe cyclonic storm to depression. It issued rainfall alerts for several states, giving people and authorities information for preparations.

In general, tropical cyclones begin over sufficiently warm ocean water. Heat and moisture rise from the surface, lowering air pressure near the centre. Air then flows inward toward the lower pressure and rises, releasing heat that can further strengthen the circulation. This creates a feedback loop while the storm remains over warm water.

Earth’s rotation causes the moving air to curve rather than travel straight toward the centre. That turning helps organise the cyclone’s rotation. Larger atmospheric steering winds then guide the storm’s path. Ridges and upper-level troughs can redirect it, as the article describes for Murasu after landfall.

Murasu was over the Bay of Bengal and moving west-northwest at 22 kmph. The IMD expected it to continue toward Andhra Pradesh, then turn northward and north-northeastward after landfall under the influence of a ridge and upper-tropospheric trough. The article does not provide formation details.