Cyclone Murasu is a severe cyclonic storm that formed over the southwest Bay of Bengal and is now bearing down on the Andhra Pradesh-Tamil Nadu coast, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasting landfall around November 3, 2026. It has already triggered red alerts, heavy rain warnings, and school closures across five states.
Key Takeaways
- Cyclone Murasu intensified from a deep depression into a cyclonic storm over the Bay of Bengal and is expected to cross the coast near Andhra Pradesh on November 3.
- IMD has sounded a red alert in five districts of Andhra Pradesh and an orange alert in six districts of Telangana.
- Tamil Nadu and Odisha are on high alert, while Karnataka, Maharashtra, and even Delhi-NCR are seeing spillover weather effects.
- This is the second cyclone-linked disruption for Andhra Pradesh in a short span, coming soon after Cyclone Arnab left the coast waterlogged.
What Is Cyclone Murasu and Where Is It Now?
Cyclone Murasu began life as a low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal before the IMD upgraded it in quick stages — first to a depression, then a deep depression, and finally to a cyclonic storm. That last jump happened within 24 hours, which is roughly the pace meteorologists expect when sea surface temperatures in the Bay stay unusually warm this late in the year.
As of November 2, IMD bulletins place the system a few hundred kilometres off the Andhra Pradesh coast, tracking slowly northwest-ward. Forecasters at the Regional Specialised Meteorological Centre in Chennai have been issuing updates every three hours, a frequency reserved for systems considered likely to make landfall rather than curve out to sea.
When Will Cyclone Murasu Make Landfall?
Most IMD assessments point to a landfall window on November 3, somewhere along the Andhra Pradesh coast, with the possibility of the system brushing northern Tamil Nadu and southern Odisha depending on how much it curves in its final approach. Cyclone tracks are never fixed days in advance, and Murasu has already nudged its projected path slightly more than once.
For coastal Andhra Pradesh, the practical effect is simple: heavy rain and strong winds are expected to build through November 2 night and peak around landfall on November 3, tapering off over the following day as the system weakens after moving inland.
Which States Are on Alert for Cyclone Murasu?
The alert map for Cyclone Murasu stretches well beyond the point of landfall. Here’s how it breaks down by state, based on the latest IMD advisories:
| State | Alert Level | Key Concern |
| Andhra Pradesh | Red alert (5 districts) | Heavy to very heavy rain, strong winds near landfall zone |
| Telangana | Orange alert (6 districts) | Heavy rainfall, thunderstorms inland |
| Tamil Nadu | High alert | Coastal rain, rough sea conditions |
| Odisha | High alert | Rain spillover, coastal wind warning |
| Karnataka | Yellow alert (select districts) | Moderate rain in Bengaluru and surrounding regions |
| Maharashtra | Yellow alert (western parts) | Unseasonal showers, including in Pune |
Delhi-NCR, by contrast, is expected to stay largely untouched by Cyclone Murasu, with IMD forecasting pleasant, dry weather through the same period — a reminder of how localised a Bay of Bengal system’s reach actually is, even when it dominates the national weather conversation.
How Strong Are the Winds Expected to Be?
IMD classifies Murasu as a cyclonic storm, a category that typically brings sustained winds in the range of 65 to 90 kmph near the centre, with gusts running higher during landfall. Exact peak speeds will depend on how much strength the system gains or sheds in its last stretch over open water, so residents should treat official bulletins — not early estimates — as the final word closer to November 3.
Why Does Andhra Pradesh Keep Getting Hit?
This is the part that deserves more attention than it usually gets. Andhra Pradesh’s long, low-lying coastline sits almost directly in the path of Bay of Bengal systems that form in October and November, which is traditionally India’s second cyclone season after the monsoon withdrawal. Cyclone Murasu’s arrival so soon after Cyclone Arnab — which left several Andhra districts waterlogged just weeks earlier — has state disaster management officials unusually on edge, because saturated soil and swollen rivers mean even moderate rain now can trigger flooding that a dry spell would have simply absorbed.
Local officials in Andhra Pradesh have reportedly pre-positioned relief teams and opened shelters in low-lying coastal mandals, a precaution drawn directly from the Arnab experience. That back-to-back pattern — two named systems affecting the same stretch of coast within a single season — is becoming less of an anomaly and more of a planning assumption for state disaster authorities.
For the latest official track and wind-speed bulletins, the India Meteorological Department’s website publishes updates roughly every three hours while the system remains active, and that is the most reliable source as the landfall window approaches.
What Should Residents in the Alert Zones Do?
Disaster management authorities in the affected states have issued fairly standard but important guidance as Cyclone Murasu approaches:
- Avoid unnecessary travel along the coast on November 2 and 3, especially near Andhra Pradesh’s red-alert districts.
- Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the Bay of Bengal until the system clears the coast.
- Keep mobile phones charged and tuned to local administration alerts, since power outages are common during landfall.
- Residents in low-lying or flood-prone areas should identify the nearest government shelter in advance.
- Farmers with standing crops in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana should, where possible, harvest or secure produce before the rain intensifies.
FAQ
Where will Cyclone Murasu make landfall?
IMD forecasts suggest Cyclone Murasu will cross the coast near Andhra Pradesh around November 3, though the exact landfall point could shift slightly depending on the storm’s final track.
Which districts have a red alert for Cyclone Murasu?
Five districts in Andhra Pradesh are under a red alert, while six districts in neighbouring Telangana are on orange alert as of November 2.
Will Cyclone Murasu affect Bengaluru or Pune?
Both cities are expected to see rain linked to the wider weather system, with IMD issuing yellow alerts for parts of Karnataka and western Maharashtra, though neither lies in the storm’s direct path.
Is Cyclone Murasu related to Cyclone Arnab?
No, they are separate systems, but Cyclone Murasu is striking Andhra Pradesh only weeks after Cyclone Arnab, compounding flood risk because the ground is already saturated.
How is Cyclone Murasu different from a depression?
A depression is a weaker, earlier stage of the same weather system. IMD upgrades it to a cyclonic storm once sustained winds cross a defined threshold, which is exactly the progression Murasu went through over the Bay of Bengal.
Cyclone Murasu is a reminder that India’s coastline doesn’t get a clean break between weather systems, especially in a season when the Bay of Bengal stays warm longer than usual. The next 48 hours will decide how much of Andhra Pradesh’s recovery from Arnab gets undone, and how far inland this latest storm’s rain really travels.