Cyclone Murasu moved across the Bay of Bengal at speeds reaching 27km/h.
The severe cyclonic storm is expected to make landfall along the Andhra Pradesh coast early on November 3.
Storm surges of 1–1.5 metres could flood low-lying coastal areas.
Seawater could reach up to 330 metres inland in Ongole and 190 metres in Bapatla.
Severe cyclone Murasu is hurtling rapidly towards the Andhra Pradesh coast, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) warning that storm surges of up to 1.5 metres could inundate low-lying coastal areas during landfall on the night of November 2-3.
The storm comes just days after the very severe cyclonic storm Arnab made landfall further north along the same coastline on October 28, 2026.
Murasu is expected to make landfall south of Ongole, between Nellore and Narsapur, between 11:30 pm on November 2 and 4 am on November 3, bringing strong winds, storm surges and possible coastal flooding.
What sets Cyclone Murasu apart is the speed at which it has travelled across the Bay of Bengal. However, the storm slowed to 10 km/h during the six hours preceding 2:30 pm on November 2, according to the latest IMD update. Rapidly moving cyclones generally have less time to intensify before reaching land.
The IMD forecasts that Murasu will make landfall as a severe cyclonic storm, with sustained wind speeds of 100–110 km/h and gusts reaching 120 km/h.
The cyclone is being continuously monitored by Doppler weather radars in Chennai, Machilipatnam and Visakhapatnam.
According to the latest IMD update, Cyclone Murasu was centred over the west-central Bay of Bengal at 2.30 pm on November 2, about 100 km east of Nellore, 120 km southeast of Kavali and 160 km southeast of Ongole in Andhra Pradesh. It was also 160 km north-northeast of Chennai and 210 km south of Machilipatnam.
At 8.30am on November 2, the cyclone was located approximately 160 km east-south-east of Nellore in Andhra Pradesh and 180 km north-east of Chennai in Tamil Nadu, according to the IMD.
It had moved at a speed of 22 km/h during the preceding six hours. An earlier IMD update reported that the cyclone had travelled at 25 km/h in the six hours before 5.30 am on November 2.
In previous six-hour periods, Murasu had recorded movement speeds of 20 km/h, 23 km/h, 25 km/h and 27 km/h, according to IMD updates.
The low-pressure area that eventually developed into Cyclone Murasu formed over the southern Andaman Sea and surrounding areas on October 29. Within four days, it had intensified into a severe cyclonic storm and moved close to the Andhra Pradesh coast.
Following landfall, the IMD expects the system to weaken into a depression and move north-west towards Telangana. High storm surges upto 1.5 metres high could potentially inundate low-lying areas along the southern Andhra Pradesh coast during landfall.
According to the IMD, the highest storm surges could affect Bapatla, Prakasam and Krishna districts.
The greatest inland flooding from storm surges is projected in Ongole mandal, where seawater could reach up to 330 metres inland, followed by Bapatla mandal, where inundation could extend up to 190 metres, according to the IMD.
Southern Odisha faced devastating floods due to Cyclone Arnab, leaving behind a vast trail of destruction, including broken homes, damaged roads, toppled electric poles, and public facilities in ruins.
Four people died and around 12 remain missing following landslides triggered by Cyclone Arnab. Rescue teams are using radar technology to locate survivors. Ahead of Murasu, authorities have begun precautionary evacuations across five districts, issued orange rainfall warnings and barred fishermen from venturing into rough seas until November 4.
(with inputs from Ashis Senapati)