Cyclone Murasu set to hit near Ongole with 100‑120 km/h winds

Cyclone Murasu is expected to hit the Andhra Pradesh coast near Ongole in the early hours of November 3 with winds of 100 to 120 km per hour. It is the second cyclonic storm to affect the state in less than a week. The India Meteorological Department said the system was centred over the southwest Bay of Bengal at 5.30 p.m., about 420 km east‑southeast of Chennai, 490 km east‑southeast of Nellore, 500 km southeast of Machilipatnam, 510 km east‑southeast of Kavali, 530 km southeast of Ongole and 560 km south‑southeast of Visakhapatnam. The state has moved six National Disaster Response Force teams and seven State Disaster Response Force teams into districts likely to be hit. Two teams each are positioned in Krishna, Bapatla, Guntur, Nellore and Prakasam, while one team each is placed in Markapuram, Palnadu and Tirupati; extra teams stand by for further deployment. Isolated very heavy rain is forecast for parts of Krishna, Guntur, Bapatla, Prakasam, Markapuram and Nellore on Monday. Schools in the NTR and Guntur districts will be closed on November 2 for all government and private institutions. Residents can report cyclone‑related problems via the Mana Mitra WhatsApp service at 95523 00009 or call the Disaster Management Authority toll‑free numbers 112, 1070 and 18004250101.

Context

Cyclones forming in the Bay of Bengal frequently move toward the Andhra Pradesh coastline, prompting authorities to pre‑position rescue teams and issue school closures to protect lives.