Cyclone Murasu landfall tonight near Ongole as Andhra evacuates thousands

Cyclone Murasu has grown into a severe cyclonic storm and is expected to make landfall on the south Andhra Pradesh coast tonight, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Monday (2 November). Andhra Pradesh has started evacuating people from low-lying coastal areas, and heavy rain has already lashed Chennai and neighbouring districts of Tamil Nadu.

According to IMD, the storm intensified into a severe cyclonic storm in the early hours of Monday. At 8.30 am it was over the west-central Bay of Bengal, about 160 km east-southeast of Nellore and 210 km southeast of Ongole. It is very likely to move northwest and cross the coast between Nellore and Narsapur, close to Ongole, between 11.30 pm on Monday and 4 am on Tuesday, with wind speeds of 100 to 110 kmph gusting to 120 kmph.

“Severe Cyclonic Storm ‘MURASU’ to Cross South Andhra Pradesh Coast Between Nellore and Narsapur During Midnight of 2nd–Early Morning of 3rd November 2026 | Wind Speed 100–110 kmph, Gusting to 120 kmph,” IMD posted on X on Monday afternoon.

IMD has also warned of a storm surge that could flood low-lying areas of south coastal Andhra Pradesh around landfall, with the highest surge expected over Bapatla, Krishna and Prakasam districts. It expects the storm to weaken quickly after it moves inland.

“Around 2,000 people have been evacuated, and the process is continuing. We are planning to evacuate some 30,000 people,” Prakhar Jain, managing director of the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority, told Reuters on Monday. Six National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams and seven State Disaster Response Force teams have been deployed in the districts likely to be hit, including three NDRF teams sent from Tamil Nadu.

Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan said on X that the cyclone was set to have a severe impact on Nellore, Prakasam, Bapatla and Krishna districts.

Air travel has been hit. Twelve flights at Vijayawada were cancelled on Monday and services at Visakhapatnam were disrupted, The Hindu reported. Chennai airport also cancelled some flights.

In Tamil Nadu, IMD issued an orange alert for Chennai, where schools were shut on Monday. Madhavaram in Chennai recorded 11 cm of rain in 24 hours, while Ennore Port and Nungambakkam got 10 cm each. The Greater Chennai Corporation said there was no major flooding, only “some minor water stagnation” in certain areas.

Murasu is the second cyclone to threaten the region in about a week. The Indian Idiot reported on Sunday on how it formed and where it was headed.