Cyclone Murasu Heads For Andhra Pradesh Coast As Alerts Go Up

The Andhra Pradesh government put five districts on alert as severe cyclonic storm Murasu moved closer for a landfall between Ongole and Nellore on the night of November 2 to 3. The affected districts include Bapatla, Palnadu, Markapuram, SPSR Nellore, and Prakasam. Officials expect very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall in these areas, which earlier faced a rain deficit during the monsoon season.

Storm Details

The India Meteorological Department stated the system is likely to travel with wind speeds reaching 100 to 110 kilometres per hour, with gusts touching 120 kilometres per hour between Nellore and Narasapur. The storm was tracked about 80 kilometres east-northeast of Nellore, 80 kilometres east-southeast of Kavali, 110 kilometres southeast of Ongole, 140 kilometres south of Bapatla, 170 kilometres south-southwest of Machilipatnam, 170 kilometres northeast of Tirupati, and 190 kilometres north-northeast of Nungambakkam in Chennai. It moved towards the coast at a speed of 12 kilometres per hour, bringing gales of 70 to 90 kilometres per hour along the Andhra Pradesh shoreline alongside a possible storm surge.

Wider Impact

Rain also reached northern districts of Tamil Nadu near Andhra Pradesh from Sunday evening, causing waterlogging in parts of north Chennai. In Odisha, where a prior storm named Cyclone Arnab caused damage, authorities previously evacuated 1.6 lakh people across Ganjam, Gajapati, Malkangiri, Koraput, and Kandhamal districts. Meanwhile, IMD Amaravati issued a red alert for Palnadu, Tirupati, and Nandyal districts, along with an orange alert for 12 other districts.

Preparations

Authorities anticipate Murasu to be less severe than Cyclone Arnab, keeping a focus on water management. Officials dispatched 31,000 electricity poles from Srikakulam to Krishna district to manage expected power pole damage, while 1,000 personnel arrived from Chennai for restoration work. The National Disaster Response Force deployed 14 teams from its 10th Battalion across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana to handle emergency response duties.

Context

Tropical cyclones frequently form in the Bay of Bengal during the post-monsoon months, bringing heavy rainfall and destructive winds to India's eastern coastline. Emergency preparations typically focus on pre-positioning rescue personnel and utility equipment to restore power and clear blocked roads as quickly as possible.