Severe Cyclone Murasu: Landfall to begin in A.P. around 2-3 a.m.

Landfall is expected near Ongole, in Andhra Pradesh’s Prakasam district. The India Meteorological Department said the process would commence before 3 a.m., making the hours around November 3 especially important for coastal residents and emergency teams.

The storm’s northern outer spiral band had already entered southern Coastal Andhra Pradesh. Its forward wall-cloud region was approaching the coastline. These signs showed that Murasu was no longer simply distant at sea, but was moving into the coastal impact zone.

At 11.30 p.m. on November 2, Murasu was about 60 kilometres southeast of Ongole and moving northwest at 10 kmph. The APSDMA warned of extremely heavy rain in parts of Ongole Rural, Kothapatnam and Chinaganjam. Officials and residents were urged to remain cautious as conditions were expected to worsen overnight.

Landfall marks the cyclone’s transition from an ocean-based storm to a system crossing land. It matters because the storm’s strongest winds, rain and pressure changes can begin affecting communities directly. A cyclone can produce dangerous weather before landfall, but it has not technically made landfall while its centre remains over water.

Murasu illustrates the difference. At 11.30 p.m., it was over the West Central Bay of Bengal, about 60 kilometres southeast of Ongole. Its outer spiral band had entered southern Coastal Andhra Pradesh, while the wall-cloud region was approaching the coast. The storm was therefore affecting land before its expected crossing.

The IMD said landfall near Ongole would commence before 3 a.m. This meant the coastal impact was moving from an approaching phase toward the actual crossing. Rainfall was expected to increase overnight, even though earlier rainfall observations had shown little or no rain in affected districts.

Murasu was producing powerful coastal winds as it approached Andhra Pradesh. The IMD reported gales of 70–90 kmph, with gusts reaching 100 kmph along and off the coast. Sustained winds and stronger gusts can affect travel, electricity lines, trees and weak structures, so these measurements matter for public safety.

At 11.30 p.m. on November 2, the storm was centred over the West Central Bay of Bengal. It was approximately 50 kilometres from Kavali, 60 kilometres southeast of Ongole, 90 kilometres northeast of Nellore and 150 kilometres southwest of Machilipatnam.

Murasu was moving northwest at 10 kmph and was expected to continue in that direction at the same speed. Its distance from Ongole was especially significant because landfall was forecast near Ongole before 3 a.m. The storm’s location and movement indicated that coastal conditions could deteriorate quickly overnight.

The heaviest forecast rainfall is concentrated in Prakasam district. Extremely heavy rain is expected during the intervening night of November 2–3 in parts of Ongole Rural, Kothapatnam and Chinaganjam mandals. This warning identifies the areas facing the greatest immediate rainfall threat.

Very heavy rain is expected in Ongole Urban, Naguluppalapadu, Vetapalem, Tangutur, Singarayakonda, Ulavapadu, Maddipadu, Gudluru, Zarugumilli, Santhanuthalapadu and Kandukur mandals. Together, these locations cover urban, rural and coastal parts of the district.

The forecast was issued as Murasu moved closer to the coast. Between 8.30 a.m. and 10.30 p.m. on November 2, affected districts had recorded no rainfall in real-time information from the Directorate of Economics and Statistics. Experts cautioned that rainfall activity was likely to pick up at night, making preparation important despite the earlier quiet conditions.

Powerful winds and extremely heavy rain can create several connected dangers. Strong gusts may break branches, damage weak roofs, overturn loose objects and disrupt electricity or communications. Intense rain can flood roads, reduce visibility, make driving dangerous and isolate homes or communities. These are established cyclone hazards; the article does not report specific damage from Murasu yet.

For example, winds of 70–90 kmph, gusting to 100 kmph, can bring down trees or power lines. Heavy rain in low-lying areas can cover roads and overwhelm drainage. Floodwater may enter homes, affect public buildings and delay emergency vehicles. Officials may also face interruptions to transport, power, water and communications.

The risk was greatest overnight because landfall was forecast before 3 a.m. The APSDMA issued rainfall warnings for several Prakasam mandals, while experts urged caution. People and officials therefore needed to prepare before conditions worsened, rather than wait for visible damage.

Little rain earlier in the day does not mean a cyclone’s rainfall threat has passed. Tropical cyclones contain curved rainbands and a dense central cloud region. As these features move over a location, rainfall can rise quickly. The article reports that experts expected Murasu’s rainfall activity to pick up at night as the storm neared the coast.

The clearest example is Murasu’s structure. Its outer spiral band had already entered southern Coastal Andhra Pradesh, and the wall-cloud region in the forward sector was approaching the coastline. These moving parts can bring bursts of heavy rain after a period of relatively quiet weather. The storm was also travelling northwest at 10 kmph.

Between 8.30 a.m. and 10.30 p.m. on November 2, affected districts recorded no rainfall in the cited real-time data. Yet landfall was expected before 3 a.m. The sharp change reflected the storm’s arrival, not a contradiction in the forecast.

Tropical cyclones generally form over warm ocean water when heat and moisture feed rising air. As moist air rises, pressure falls near the surface, drawing in more air. Earth’s rotation helps organize this inflow into a rotating system. If the circulation strengthens, thunderstorms can arrange into curved bands around the storm’s centre.

The article identifies these features in Murasu. Its outer spiral band had entered southern Coastal Andhra Pradesh, while the wall-cloud region in the forward sector was approaching the coastline. A wall cloud is the dense, towering cloud area surrounding the cyclone’s inner core, where the strongest winds and heaviest rain are usually concentrated. This explanation uses established meteorological knowledge beyond the article’s brief description.

At 11.30 p.m., Murasu was over the West Central Bay of Bengal and moving northwest at 10 kmph. Its organised structure and coastal approach supported the forecast of landfall near Ongole before 3 a.m., with rainfall expected to intensify overnight.