Severe Cyclone Murasu makes landfall near Ongole with fierce winds

Landfall and Wind Speed

The landfall process of Severe Cyclonic Storm Murasu began at 1 a.m. on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, as its inner spiral band entered South Coastal Andhra Pradesh. The storm is crossing the coast close to Ongole, bringing gale-force winds of 100 to 110 kmph that gust up to 120 kmph. According to the India Meteorological Department, these severe wind speeds will likely continue till morning along and near the landfall point. The severe storm is forecast to cross the coast between Nellore and Narsapur.

Rainfall and Surges

The weather office has warned of a dangerous storm surge that may flood low-lying areas in South Coastal Andhra Pradesh, with peak surges expected over Bapatla, Krishna, and Prakasam districts. Heavy spells of rainfall are also expected across the region during the next 12 hours. Rainfall has already started, with Ongole city recording 18 mm and Kothapatnam in Prakasam district recording 74.7 mm by 1 a.m. Meanwhile, Krishna district has also seen moderate rains.

Official Measures

Ahead of the impact, authorities have urged residents to stay calm. In Nellore district, Collector Himanshu Shukla appealed to people not to panic buy fuel or essential goods, assuring that the district has ample stocks including 1,710 kiloliters of petrol, 2,832 kiloliters of diesel, and thousands of LPG cylinders and ration supplies. Officials warned that strict action will be taken against anyone creating artificial shortages or inflating prices. For emergency assistance, people in Prakasam and other affected districts can contact Mana Mitra at 9552300009.

Context

Coastal Andhra Pradesh is vulnerable to severe cyclonic storms during the post-monsoon season due to warm waters in the Bay of Bengal. Meteorological agencies like the IMD continuously track these systems to issue timely warnings and coordinate disaster response. This cyclone arrives just less than a week after Cyclone Arnab hit the region.