Cyclone Murasu: Andhra Pradesh and Odisha brace as storm heads for November 3 landfall

A new storm days after Arnab

A deep depression over the Bay of Bengal intensified into cyclonic storm Murasu on Sunday 1 November, days after Cyclone Arnab hit the Andhra Pradesh coast on 28 October, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

Murasu, meaning war drum, is a name contributed by India, and it is the second cyclonic storm over the Bay of Bengal this year, following Arnab, Oneindia reported.

In its latest bulletin, the IMD said the storm is set to intensify into a very severe cyclonic storm before crossing the coast, with earlier forecasts of lower wind speeds superseded by the Sunday update.

Forecast track and winds

The IMD expects Murasu to cross the south Andhra Pradesh coast between Nellore and Narsapur on the morning of 3 November, with wind speeds of 100 to 110 kmph gusting to 120 kmph, according to the bulletin carried by PTI-based reports.

The system was moving west-northwestwards and was centred hundreds of kilometres from the coast on Sunday. Heavy to extremely heavy rainfall is expected over coastal Andhra Pradesh, Yanam, Rayalaseema and south Odisha over the next few days.

Fishermen have been warned against venturing into the Bay of Bengal as sea conditions turn rough, with those already at sea advised to return to the coast.

Odisha and Andhra Pradesh step up preparations

Odisha has sounded a high alert in its southern region, including Ganjam district, which was severely hit by Arnab, and ordered evacuations from low-lying areas and hilly terrain before landfall, Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said.

The state's meteorological centre director, Manorama Mohanty, said Odisha will receive rainfall from 2 November, with intensity increasing on 3 and 4 November under the cyclone's influence. Special Relief Commissioner Rajesh P Patil said work was under way on two fronts: relief and restoration for Arnab's victims and preparation for Murasu, with about 150 landslide-prone places in Gajapati district identified for evacuation by Monday afternoon.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu directed officials to remain fully prepared for relief and rescue operations, with bulletins on the cyclone situation every four hours and advance precautions by telecom operators to prevent signal disruption. An official release from his office referred to a crossing near Bapatla, wording that differs from the IMD bulletins' Nellore to Narsapur track.

Still recovering from Arnab

The new warning comes while recovery from Arnab is still under way: according to the state's relief commissioner, the earlier cyclone and subsequent floods affected 1.18 lakh people, damaged 1,672 houses and hit 75,388 hectares of crop area, with 10 landslides and five deaths reported in Odisha.

Forecasters and officials have urged residents in the likely affected districts to follow official bulletins as the track and intensity are updated, rather than relying on older forecasts.

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