Cyclone Murasu Crosses Andhra Pradesh Coast, Weakening Expected By Midnight

UPDATE - follow-up to Cyclone Murasu LIVE updates: Eye of cyclone crosses Andhra Pradesh coast: The eye of severe cyclonic storm Murasu crossed the Andhra Pradesh coast at 5:30 a.m. on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, while the rear end of the weather system continues its landfall.

Storm Movement And Impact

Moving north-northwestwards at 8 kmph, the system lay centred over South Coastal Andhra Pradesh at 8:30 a.m. The Visakhapatnam-based Cyclone Warning Centre and the India Meteorological Department reported the system was located 30 km north-northwest of Ongole, 40 km southwest of Bapatla, 90 km north-northeast of Kavali, 100 km south-southwest of Vijayawada, and 120 km west-southwest of Machilipatnam. The storm was set to weaken into a cyclonic storm by Tuesday noon with winds reaching 90 kmph and gusting to 100 kmph, and further subside into a deep depression by midnight with winds up to 75 kmph. Bapatla recorded the state's heaviest rain with 213.16 mm at the Agricultural College gauge, while Naguluppalapadu got 198.01 mm, and 57 of the 61 gauges crossing 100 mm were in Bapatla, Prakasam, and West Godavari districts. Later rain moved inland, with Gurijepalli recording 71.5 mm and Nandigama 50.5 mm by 11 a.m. Inflow at Pulichintala dam is expected to peak at 29,000 Cusecs on November 5 before declining.

Relief And Official Action

Thatched houses collapsed and residents were stranded in Samatha Nagar, Ongole, where the district administration started rescue operations and a statue of Tanguturi Prakasam Panthulu collapsed after a tree fell. The Andhra Pradesh government's Real Time Governance Society launched a WhatsApp grievance platform on number 9552300009 via 'Mana Mitra' for citizens to report emergencies like power outages and uprooted trees. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu instructed officials to prevent loss of lives and focus on drinking water, power, and road connectivity during a teleconference with District Collectors. Meanwhile, CM Naidu thanked Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on X for sending relief and restoration teams to support Andhra Pradesh.

Context

Coastal Andhra Pradesh is highly vulnerable to tropical storms forming over the Bay of Bengal during the northeast monsoon season. State disaster management agencies routinely deploy digital governance tools and coordinate interstate assistance to manage evacuation, rescue, and post-storm relief operations efficiently.