Symbolic illustration of a large swirling cyclone seen from above over a dark blue sea, approaching a green coastline at night. (Illustrative image)
India
Cyclone Murasu heads for Andhra coast, landfall on 3 November
Cyclone Murasu formed over the Bay of Bengal on 1 November 2026 and is forecast to cross the south Andhra Pradesh coast between Nellore and Narsapur in the early hours of 3 November, with winds of 100 to 110 kmph gusting to 120 kmph.
⚡Key Highlights
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Cyclone Murasu formed over the Bay of Bengal on 1 November 2026 and is forecast to cross the south Andhra Pradesh coast between Nellore and Narsapur in the early hours of 3 November, with winds of 100 to 110 kmph gusting to 120 kmph.
Special coverage and in-depth reporting from the India desk.
Key analysis, background details, and full reporting below.
Cyclone Murasu formed on 1 November 2026 and is forecast to cross the south Andhra coast between Nellore and Narsapur in the early hours of 3 November, with winds gusting to 120 kmph.
By StoryTimesNow News Desk — 01 November 2026, 9:03 PM IST
Cyclone Murasu is forecast to cross the south Andhra coast in the early hours of 3 November 2026. (Illustrative image)
Key Takeaways
What happened: A deep depression over the Bay of Bengal became Cyclonic Storm Murasu on 1 November 2026, the IMD said.
Who is affected: Coastal Andhra Pradesh faces the main impact, with a red alert for five districts on 2 November; south Odisha is on high alert and Telangana faces heavy rain.
What next: Murasu should become a severe cyclonic storm by the morning of 2 November and cross the coast between 11.30 pm on 2 November and 4 am on 3 November.
Introduction
Andhra Pradesh is bracing for a second cyclone in a week. Murasu formed over the Bay of Bengal on Sunday, 1 November 2026, days after Cyclone Arnab battered the same coastline, and the IMD expects it to strengthen into a severe cyclonic storm before landfall in the early hours of Tuesday, 3 November.
What Happened?
The IMD said a deep depression over the southwest and adjoining west-central Bay of Bengal moved west-northwestwards and intensified into Cyclonic Storm Murasu on Sunday. At 11.30 am it lay about 560 km east-southeast of Chennai and 630 km east-southeast of Nellore. By 2.30 pm it was near 12.4 degrees north, 84.6 degrees east, about 480 km east-southeast of Chennai, moving at 27 kmph.
Murasu, contributed by India, means drum in Tamil and has also been described as a war drum. It is the second Bay of Bengal cyclone to threaten Andhra Pradesh within a week, after Arnab, which made landfall on 28 October with winds up to 150 kmph.
Why Does This Matter?
The timing is what makes Murasu dangerous. Coastal communities have had almost no recovery time since Arnab, and a severe cyclonic storm brings destructive winds, extremely heavy rain, a storm surge and disruption to power and transport at once. The IMD warns of a surge of about one metre above the astronomical tide in low-lying areas, particularly around Bapatla, Krishna and Prakasam.
As of Sunday evening, Murasu had not made landfall; its crossing point and wind speeds are forecasts, and the landfall point may still shift.
Important Details
Formation: Deep depression became Cyclonic Storm Murasu on 1 November 2026 over the southwest and adjoining west-central Bay of Bengal.
Position at 2.30 pm on 1 November: Near 12.4 degrees north, 84.6 degrees east, about 480 km east-southeast of Chennai and 550 km east-southeast of Nellore, moving west-northwestwards at 27 kmph.
Forecast: Severe cyclonic storm by the morning of 2 November; crossing between Nellore and Narsapur from 11.30 pm on 2 November to 4 am on 3 November, with sustained winds of 100 to 110 kmph, gusting to 120 kmph.
Rainfall: Heavy to very heavy rain over coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema on 2 and 3 November, with isolated extremely heavy rain; heavy rain also for Telangana and Odisha from 2 November.
Red alert, 2 November: Krishna, Guntur, Bapatla, Prakasam and SPSR Nellore, where extremely heavy rain is likely.
Storm surge: About one metre above astronomical tide over low-lying south coastal Andhra Pradesh, particularly around Bapatla, Krishna and Prakasam. Fishermen have been warned not to venture into the sea.
Background and Context
Bay of Bengal cyclones are named from a regional list; Murasu is India's contribution. A system becomes a cyclonic storm at 62 kmph and a severe cyclonic storm at 89 kmph, so Monday's forecast step up is significant, even though forecast landfall winds are lower than Arnab's 150 kmph.
Arnab made landfall near Narsapur on 28 October 2026, so Murasu's forecast crossing stretch overlaps coastline hit only days earlier. Odisha has put its southern region on high alert, and Andhra Pradesh officials have been asked to issue cyclone bulletins every four hours.
What Happens Next?
Intensification into a severe cyclonic storm is expected by the morning of 2 November, and winds, rain and surge will peak during the landfall window. After landfall, the system is expected to move towards Telangana.
Odisha's rainfall is expected from 2 November, increasing on 3 November and continuing into 4 November, according to Manorama Mohanty of the Bhubaneswar meteorological centre. Minister Suresh Pujari has said the state is fully prepared and urged people not to panic.
What Readers Should Know
If you are in coastal Andhra Pradesh, south Odisha or Telangana, do not rely on a single forecast: check the latest IMD bulletin and district advisories before travelling, and treat the landfall window as an estimate that can move. Stay away from the sea and secure loose objects and temporary structures.
Keep phones charged, with a torch and drinking water ready; power and mobile networks may be disrupted. If an evacuation is ordered from a low-lying area, leave early: surge and flooding cause many cyclone casualties.
FAQs
When will Cyclone Murasu make landfall? The IMD forecasts a crossing between Nellore and Narsapur from 11.30 pm on 2 November to 4 am on 3 November 2026, as a severe cyclonic storm.
How strong will the winds be? Sustained winds of 100 to 110 kmph at landfall, gusting to 120 kmph.
Which districts are on red alert? Krishna, Guntur, Bapatla, Prakasam and SPSR Nellore for 2 November, with extremely heavy rain likely; districts bordering Telangana for 3 November.
Sources and Verification
India Meteorological Department, via The Hindu, 1 November 2026 — https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/cyclone-murasu-drums-up-fresh-worry-for-andhra-after-arnab-red-alert-sounded-in-five-districts/article71652622.ece
India Meteorological Department, via The Hindu, 1 November 2026 — https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/cyclone-murasu-forms-over-bay-of-bengal-southern-odisha-on-high-alert/article71652505.ece
India Meteorological Department, via Business Today, 1 November 2026 — https://www.businesstoday.in/amp/india/story/after-arnab-now-cyclone-murasu-heading-for-andhra-when-will-it-make-landfall-564982-2026-11-01
India Meteorological Department, via The New Indian Express, 1 November 2026 — https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/andhra-pradesh/2026/Nov/01/cyclone-murasu-intensifies-over-bay-of-bengal-likely-to-cross-andhra-coast-on-november-3
India Meteorological Department, via Hyderabad Mail, 1 November 2026 — https://hyderabadmail.com/cyclone-murasu-imd-heavy-rain-strong-winds-andhra-coast/
All forecast figures come from IMD bulletins issued on 1 November 2026, as reported by The Hindu, Business Today, The New Indian Express and Hyderabad Mail, which agree on the formation date, the Nellore to Narsapur crossing stretch, the landfall window, and winds of 100 to 110 kmph gusting to 120 kmph. Where bulletins differ, this article uses the 2.30 pm position. No landfall has yet occurred; all landfall details are forecasts. The hero image is symbolic, not a satellite photograph of Murasu.
