Cyclone Murasu: Heavy Rain Batters Andhra Coast; All 11 Missing Telangana Rescuers Found Safe

Landfall and the damage in Andhra Pradesh

Severe Cyclone Murasu uprooted thousands of trees and brought down hundreds of electricity poles across coastal Andhra Pradesh after making landfall near Ongole early on 3 November 2026, disrupting power supplies, communication networks and transport services. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said Murasu crossed the coast between 3.30 am and 5.30 am, with winds of 100–110 kmph, gusting to 120 kmph.

Prakasam, Bapatla, Palnadu and Guntur were among the worst-affected districts. Fallen trees blocked roads, damaged electricity infrastructure caused power outages in several areas, fishing boats were damaged, and heavy rainfall inundated standing crops and low-lying residential areas. More than 35 trains were cancelled, 14 diverted and eight rescheduled.

The Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA) said on 3 November that at least two people had died, both in Bapatla district: a 25-year-old man in Chinnaganjam and a 65-year-old woman in Karamchedu, who died when buildings collapsed on them. Standing crops were hit on 52,459 hectares and the preliminary loss was estimated at Rs 344 crore, with 312 houses damaged and 12,230 people staying in relief centres. The figures are preliminary, and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said estimates were still being prepared.

Rain continues as the storm weakens

Murasu weakened into a cyclonic storm by the afternoon of 3 November and into a deep depression over coastal Andhra Pradesh and adjoining eastern Telangana, moving north-northeastwards at about 7 kmph. The IMD issued an orange alert for coastal Andhra Pradesh, warning of isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall of 115.6–204.4 mm, and yellow alerts for Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, among other regions.

The rain was concentrated in a few places. In the 24 hours to 8.30 am on 3 November, Bapatla town recorded 22 cm of rain and Narsapuram in West Godavari 20 cm. The IMD warned of possible flash floods in vulnerable catchments across coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam, including Anakapalli, Bapatla, Kakinada, Krishna, Guntur, Eluru, NTR, Prakasam, Nellore and the Godavari districts.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday morning to enquire about the situation, after two cyclones hit the state within a week. Naidu conducted an aerial survey of cyclone-affected areas across Guntur, Prakasam and Bapatla districts, though unfavourable weather prevented the helicopter from landing.

Telangana rescue drama, and West Bengal spared

A rescue operation turned into an emergency in Telangana's Khammam district on Wednesday, 4 November, after two boats capsized in the overflowing Bethupalli tank, leaving 11 rescuers missing. Eleven personnel of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and Fire Services went missing after the boats capsized while they were attempting to rescue fishermen stranded in the overflowing Bethupalli Cheruvu (lake) in Sathupalli mandal. Reports differed on how many fishermen were stranded: NDTV reported five, while IANS reported ten.

The SDRF launched a search operation using other boats, and NDRF teams were summoned from Bhadrachalam. Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy directed the District Collector to intensify all rescue efforts. All 11 missing personnel were safely rescued, officials said on Thursday: five were brought to safety late on Wednesday night, while the remaining six were rescued early on Thursday morning.

West Bengal, meanwhile, escaped the cyclone's impact. The IMD forecast light to moderate rainfall in parts of West Bengal until the morning of 4 November, followed by dry weather across most parts of the state, and clarified that cyclonic storm Murasu was unlikely to have any impact on West Bengal. The state received no weather warnings related to the cyclone.

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