Severe Cyclonic Storm Murasu is churning through the Bay of Bengal toward southern Andhra Pradesh, bringing heavy rainfall, school closures in Chennai, and flight disruptions as wind speeds threaten to reach 120 kilometers per hour ahead of a midnight landfall between Nellore and Narsapur.
The Bay of Bengal is witnessing its second major cyclone in a week as a deep depression rapidly intensified into a severe cyclonic storm named Murasu, a Tamil term meaning war drum. Coming on the heels of Cyclone Arnab, which struck the coast on October 28 with winds up to 135 kilometers per hour and left six dead across Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, Murasu has forced disaster response authorities into immediate action across India’s eastern and southern seaboards.
Landfall Timing and Wind Speed Projections
According to the India Meteorological Department, the storm system moved west-northwestward at roughly 20 kilometers per hour, positioning itself off the coasts of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Forecasters expect the center of the storm to cross the South Andhra Pradesh coast between Nellore and Narsapur close to Ongole.
#Cyclonic_Storm “#Murasu” [Pronunciation: Murasu] over Southwest & adjoining Westcentral #Bay_of_Bengal [Cyclone Warning for #Andhra_Pradesh and adjoining north #Tamil_Nadu_coasts—#Red_Message]:The Cyclonic Storm “Murasu” [Pronunciation: Murasu]” over Southwest & adjoining… pic.twitter.com/01kOciUWJw
According to the India Meteorological Department, “It is very likely to move northwestwards and cross the south Andhra Pradesh coast as a severe cyclonic storm. Wind speeds may reach 100 to 110 kilometers per hour, gusting up to 120 kilometers per hour, between Nellore and Narsapur near Ongole from 11:30 PM on November 2 to 4:00 AM on November 3,” via BBC.
The system’s approach has triggered red and orange weather alerts across multiple states. While coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yनम brace for destructive squalls, neighboring regions face widespread downpours. The national weather agency anticipates severe impacts extending into Telangana, Rayalaseema, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal, with rough sea conditions prompting warnings for fishermen to stay out of the southeastern and southwestern sectors of the Bay of Bengal.
Chennai Suburbs Inundated and Flights Disrupted
Northern Tamil Nadu bore the brunt of the outer bands as torrential rains lashed Chennai, Chengalpattu, and Tiruvallur. Madhavaram recorded the highest precipitation at 11 centimeters over a 24-hour window, while Ennore Port and Nungambakkam both logged 10 centimeters. The downpour flooded two of the city’s 22 subways and forced authorities to deploy extra pumps and motor teams to clear waterlogged streets.
The severe weather compromised visibility and prompted Chennai international airport authorities to cancel select flights or alter flight schedules. District administration officials declared a holiday for all schools in Chennai, while Greater Chennai Corporation Commissioner G.S. Samiran noted that urban drainage networks were handling the volume without widespread flooding.
G.S. Samiran told The Bharat Now that Some areas in North Chennai experienced minor flooding, but traffic is still moving smoothly. All subways are open, and complaints regarding fallen trees will be attended to.
National Disaster Response Force Deployments in Andhra Pradesh
State and federal agencies prepared for significant structural damage to thatched and mud houses, uprooted trees, and disruption of power and transport lines. In response, the fourth battalion of the National Disaster Response Force dispatched three teams comprising 90 personnel from Arakkonam in Tamil Nadu’s Ranipet district to high-risk zones in Nellore, Prakasam, and Markapuram.
In neighboring Odisha, where Puri district experienced heavy morning rain and towering sea waves, authorities placed 11 fire station teams on standby. More than 300 rescue personnel from the NDRF, ODRAF, and Odisha Fire Service deployed across vulnerable districts like Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput, and Malkangiri to manage potential evacuations from low-lying areas.
Multi-State Weather Disruptions Across Central and Northern India
The scale of the weather system extends far beyond the immediate landfall zone, altering conditions across central, western, and northern India. While southern states manage flood risks from torrential downpours, northern urban centers grapple with entirely different atmospheric pressures.
| Region | Weather System Impact | Key Affected Areas |
|---|---|---|
| Southern India | Heavy to extremely heavy rainfall, squally winds up to 120 km/h | Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Rayalaseema, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka |
| Eastern India | Widespread rain, high coastal waves, thunderstorms | Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Gangetic West Bengal, Andaman and Nicobar |
| Central & Western India | Thunderstorms, lightning, unseasonal rain | Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, Konkan, Goa, Madhya Maharashtra |
| Northern India | Dense morning fog, declining temperatures, poor air quality | Delhi-NCR, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh |
In the national capital, Delhi’s Air Quality Index climbed past 350 into the very poor category, with Akshardham and ITO registering 349. Amid mounting pollution, local authorities implemented winter action plans restricting construction and barring non-compliant BS-6 vehicles. Meanwhile, eastern Uttar Pradesh and parts of Rajasthan experienced morning fog and declining temperatures as the winter transition set in across the northern plains.