A fresh storm gathering over the Bay of Bengal has put Andhra Pradesh and southern Odisha on alert again, barely days after the previous cyclone battered the same coastline. The India Meteorological Department said on Sunday, November 1, that a deep depression over the southwest and adjoining west-central Bay of Bengal had strengthened into Cyclonic Storm Murasu, setting in motion a new round of warnings, evacuations and sea advisories for a region still counting the cost of the last storm.
Forecasters expect Murasu to strengthen further before it reaches land, and officials on both sides of the state border say preparations are already under way. The coming hours will decide how hard it hits, where exactly it crosses the coast, and how much rain it leaves behind, and that is why this developing storm, Cyclone Murasu Andhra landfall November 2026, is being watched so closely.
In This Article
- What Cyclone Murasu Is and Where It Formed
- How a Deep Depression Became Murasu
- What the Name Murasu Means
- When and Where Landfall Is Expected
- The Nellore to Narsapur Crossing Window
- How Strong the Winds Are Forecast to Be
- Rain, Wind and Sea Warnings
- Heavy Rain Across Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema
- What Southern Odisha Should Expect
- How Andhra Pradesh Is Preparing
- Evacuations From Low-Lying and Hilly Areas
- Shelters, Teams and Fishermen Warnings
- Odisha on High Alert After Arnab
- Why Ganjam Is Back on Watch
- Relief and Restoration Running in Parallel
- The Shadow of Cyclone Arnab
- What Arnab Did Days Earlier
- Why a Second Storm Strains Recovery
- What Happens After Landfall
- Inland Weakening and Continued Rain
- Risks That Remain After the Winds Ease
- Questions Still Unanswered
- What Forecasters Are Still Watching
- What Residents Should Check Next
What Cyclone Murasu Is and Where It Formed
How a Deep Depression Became Murasu
Murasu began as a low-pressure system over the Bay of Bengal that deepened through the weekend until the weather department upgraded it. In its bulletin issued at 11:30 am on Sunday, November 1, the department placed the system over the southwest and adjoining west-central Bay of Bengal, moving west-northwestwards at about 23 kilometres per hour during the previous six hours.
At that point the storm lay near latitude 12.1 degrees north and longitude 85.3 degrees east, roughly 560 kilometres east-southeast of Chennai, 660 kilometres south-southeast of Visakhapatnam, 630 kilometres east-southeast of Nellore, 640 kilometres southeast of Machilipatnam and 680 kilometres east-southeast of Ongole. Those distances matter because they show a storm still well offshore on Sunday, yet close enough that its track over the next day would decide which districts faced the worst weather.
What the Name Murasu Means
The name Murasu was contributed by India under the regional cyclone naming system for the North Indian Ocean, and reports describe it as meaning war drum, or drum in Tamil. The name is assigned in turn from a shared list, so it carries no prediction about strength on its own, but it gives officials, broadcasters and residents a single clear label to use in warnings.
Naming matters in a fast-moving emergency because it prevents confusion when several weather systems are active at once. When a district collector, a television bulletin and a fishermen’s advisory all say Murasu, they are talking about the same storm, and that shared language helps warnings travel faster than a technical description of a depression ever could.
When and Where Landfall Is Expected
The Nellore to Narsapur Crossing Window
The forecast track points Murasu towards the south Andhra Pradesh coast, with landfall expected between Nellore and Narsapur. The department said the storm is very likely to cross that stretch of coast as a severe cyclonic storm, with the crossing window described in reports as between late on Monday night, November 2, and the early hours of Tuesday, November 3, most likely by the morning of November 3.
A landfall window that spans the night matters for planning, because evacuations, shelter openings and road closures must be completed before dark and before winds rise. It also means the exact hour and the exact point of crossing may only become clear as the storm nears land, and residents should follow the latest bulletin rather than a single early estimate.
How Strong the Winds Are Forecast to Be
At landfall, sustained wind speeds of 100 to 110 kilometres per hour are forecast, with gusts reaching up to 120 kilometres per hour. Earlier outlooks had quoted a slightly lower range of 80 to 90 kilometres per hour with gusts to 100, which shows how forecasts can firm up as a storm organises, and why the later, stronger range should be the one people prepare for.
Winds at that speed can tear roofing sheets, snap branches and power lines, topple hoardings and make travel dangerous, especially for two-wheelers and light vehicles. The danger is not only the peak gust but the duration, because hours of strong wind wear down trees, poles and temporary structures that might survive a brief squall.
Rain, Wind and Sea Warnings
Heavy Rain Across Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema
The weather department has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall across coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema on November 2 and 3, with isolated extremely heavy rainfall in some areas. Districts most often named in the outlook include Nellore, Prakasam, Guntur, Krishna, Bapatla and parts of West Godavari, a belt where low-lying fields and towns can waterlog quickly when rain falls on already saturated ground.
Heavy rain brings a different kind of risk from wind, because it builds slowly and then overwhelms drains, culverts and small rivers. Urban flooding, water entering ground-floor homes, disruption to power and drinking water, and damage to standing crops are all possible even in places that escape the strongest winds, which is why rainfall warnings deserve as much attention as the wind forecast.
What Southern Odisha Should Expect
Southern Odisha is not expected to take a direct landfall, but it is still in the storm’s influence, with rainfall expected from November 2 and intensity increasing on November 3 and continuing through November 4. Five districts in southern Odisha are likely to receive heavy to extremely heavy rainfall, and wind speeds there may reach 50 to 60 kilometres per hour, gusting to 70.
The department has issued yellow warnings for thunderstorms and rain in 16 districts across northern and southern Odisha, and an orange alert for the affected southern districts. Thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds of 30 to 40 kilometres per hour are also expected in several districts over the next 24 hours, so the risk in Odisha is real even without a direct hit.
How Andhra Pradesh Is Preparing
Evacuations From Low-Lying and Hilly Areas
Odisha’s government has ordered the evacuation of people from low-lying areas and hilly terrain before Murasu makes landfall, and Andhra Pradesh’s preparations follow the same logic, moving people away from the coast, riverbanks and slopes most exposed to wind, surge and landslides. Evacuation orders are issued early precisely so that families are not forced to move in darkness, rain and rising wind.
The practical challenge is not only moving people but keeping them safe and fed in shelters until it is safe to return. That means checking shelter buildings, stocking food, water and medicines, arranging transport for elderly residents and people with disabilities, and making sure families know which shelter to go to before the storm arrives, not during it.
Shelters, Teams and Fishermen Warnings
Fishermen along the Andhra Pradesh, north Tamil Nadu and Odisha coasts have been advised not to venture into the sea until at least November 4, and those already at sea have been asked to return to the coast. Sea conditions are expected to turn rough to very rough, and a fishing boat caught in such conditions faces waves and winds it was never built to handle.
Disaster response teams, control rooms and local officials are the backbone of this phase, coordinating warnings, shelters and rescue readiness. Residents can help them by staying off beaches and coastal roads during the storm, avoiding rumours on social media, and reporting blocked roads, fallen trees or waterlogging to local authorities rather than attempting risky crossings themselves.
Odisha on High Alert After Arnab
Why Ganjam Is Back on Watch
Odisha has sounded a high alert in its southern region, including Ganjam, which was severely hit by Cyclone Arnab only days earlier. State Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said the government was fully prepared to tackle the impending cyclone and assured people not to panic, a message aimed at communities that have barely had time to clear debris from the last storm.
A district that has just been hit is more vulnerable the second time, because damaged roofs, weakened trees, waterlogged fields and disrupted power lines have not yet been fully repaired. That is why a high alert in Ganjam is not routine paperwork, but a recognition that the same families may face a second emergency before the first one is over.
Relief and Restoration Running in Parallel
Odisha’s Special Relief Commissioner Rajesh P Patil said work was under way on two fronts at once, relief and restoration for people hit by flooding after Cyclone Arnab, and preparation for the impending calamity Murasu. Running both tracks together strains staff, vehicles and supplies, but it is unavoidable when storms arrive in quick succession.
The director of the meteorological centre in Bhubaneswar, Manorama Mohanty, said Odisha will receive rainfall from November 2, with intensity increasing on November 3 and continuing through November 4 under the cyclone’s influence. That timeline gives relief teams a narrow window to finish the most urgent Arnab repairs before Murasu’s rain arrives, and it explains why officials are urging people not to wait for the storm to be visible before taking precautions.
The Shadow of Cyclone Arnab
What Arnab Did Days Earlier
Cyclone Arnab, the previous storm to hit the Andhra Pradesh coast and neighbouring Odisha, made landfall on October 28 with wind speeds up to 150 kilometres per hour, stronger at landfall than Murasu is currently forecast to be. It left flooding and damage in its wake, and its name is now the benchmark against which residents and officials measure the new storm.
Comparing the two storms is useful but can also mislead, because a weaker wind speed does not mean a weaker overall impact. Rainfall totals, the exact landfall point, the state of the ground after Arnab, and how long Murasu lingers over land will all shape the final damage, and some of those factors will only be known after the storm has passed.
Why a Second Storm Strains Recovery
Two cyclones in less than a week test every part of a recovery system, from electricity crews and road clearers to health workers and school administrators. Materials run low, workers grow exhausted, and families who have just returned home may have to leave again, which carries its own emotional and financial cost.
Farmers face a particular blow, because crops damaged by Arnab may be hit again before they can be harvested or replanted, and waterlogged fields take time to drain. Small traders, fishermen and daily-wage workers lose income twice over, which is why relief after back-to-back storms often needs to cover not just immediate shelter, but livelihood support in the weeks that follow.
What Happens After Landfall
Inland Weakening and Continued Rain
After crossing the coast between Nellore and Narsapur, Murasu is forecast to move further inland while gradually weakening. Weakening does not mean the danger ends at the shoreline, because a storm can still carry heavy rain deep into the interior, swelling rivers and streams far from where it made landfall.
Inland districts should therefore watch rainfall and river levels even after coastal winds ease. The pattern after many Bay of Bengal storms is familiar: the coast takes the wind, and the interior takes the water, sometimes a day later, when attention has already moved on.
Risks That Remain After the Winds Ease
Fallen power lines, damaged buildings, contaminated water and blocked roads can remain dangerous long after the wind drops. People returning home should check for structural damage, avoid touching fallen wires, boil or treat drinking water where advised, and keep children away from flooded areas where drains and open pits may be hidden.
Health risks also rise after flooding, as stagnant water breeds mosquitoes and contaminated water spreads stomach infections. Local health teams usually step up surveillance after a cyclone, and residents who develop fever, diarrhoea or skin infections in the days after the storm should seek care early rather than waiting for symptoms to worsen.
Questions Still Unanswered
What Forecasters Are Still Watching
The track, intensity and landfall timing of Murasu may still shift as new observations come in, and the department’s bulletins remain the authoritative source. Forecasters will be watching whether the storm strengthens into a severe cyclonic storm on the schedule predicted, whether it holds its west-northwest course, and whether rainfall totals match the heavy to extremely heavy forecast.
Satellite imagery, buoy data and coastal observations will refine the picture hour by hour, but no forecast can fix the exact landfall village days in advance. That uncertainty is normal in cyclone forecasting, and it is why warnings are issued for a stretch of coast rather than a single point.
What Residents Should Check Next
Residents in coastal Andhra Pradesh, Rayalaseema and southern Odisha should check the latest official bulletin before travelling, before returning to evacuated homes, and before sending fishermen back to sea. School closures, train and flight changes, and road diversions will be announced locally, and those local orders override any general forecast.
The next update will matter more than any single early report, because it will confirm whether Murasu has strengthened as expected, where it is headed, and which districts face the heaviest rain. Until then, preparation, not panic, is the right response, and the safest place during the storm is indoors, away from windows, in a sturdy building or a designated shelter.
The following remain unconfirmed at the time of writing: the exact landfall point and hour between Nellore and Narsapur, the final peak wind speed and whether Murasu strengthens beyond the forecast severe cyclonic storm stage, the number of people evacuated and shelters opened, the final rainfall totals by district, any casualties, damage totals, crop losses, power-outage figures, train or flight cancellations, and the date by which fishermen can safely return to sea. Those figures will only be confirmed by official bulletins and district reports after landfall, and this post should be read alongside the latest India Meteorological Department update.
