Cyclone Murasu, which developed from a low-pressure area in the Bay of Bengal on Sunday, November 1, 2026, has prompted orange and yellow alerts across multiple districts in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Odisha. The India Meteorological Department (IMD), India’s weather forecasting agency, issued these warnings as the cyclone is expected to intensify further and make landfall in southern Andhra Pradesh.
The IMD issued an orange alert for six districts in Telangana—Khammam, Nalgonda, Suryapet, Mahabubnagar, Nagarkurnool, and Wanaparthy—on Sunday. A yellow alert was simultaneously issued for five other districts: Jangaon, Yadadri Bhuvanagiri, Ranga Reddy, Hyderabad, and Medchal-Malkajgiri.
Background
- Cyclone Murasu developed from a low-pressure area in the Bay of Bengal on Sunday, November 1, 2026.
- This is the second cyclone to form in the Bay of Bengal this year, following Cyclone Arnab.
- Cyclone Arnab made landfall on the coasts of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha on October 28, 2026, causing widespread damage.
- The name 'Murasu' was given by India and means 'war drum' in Tamil, referring to an ancient percussion instrument used to inform people and warn of natural disasters.
Due to anticipated heavy rainfall, schools and colleges in Chennai and Tiruvallur districts of Tamil Nadu, and all government and private schools, colleges, and Anganwadi centres in Palnadu district of Andhra Pradesh, announced a holiday for Monday, November 2, 2026.
Landfall expected in Andhra Pradesh
Cyclone Murasu is projected to move west-northwestward and intensify into a severe cyclonic storm over the west-central Bay of Bengal by Monday morning. It is expected to cross the south Andhra Pradesh coast between Nellore and Narsapur, near Ongole, from midnight on Monday (23:30 Indian Standard Time) to early Tuesday (04:00 Indian Standard Time).
During landfall, wind speeds are estimated to range from 100-110 kilometres per hour, gusting up to 120 kilometres per hour. Andhra Pradesh has deployed six National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams and seven State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams to potentially affected districts to manage the impact of the cyclone.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu cancelled his scheduled visit to Delhi on Sunday, November 1, 2026, and instructed officials to be fully prepared to handle the cyclone’s effects. He also requested assistance from Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay for restoring damaged power systems.
Warnings for Odisha
In Odisha, a yellow warning for heavy rainfall was issued for Ganjam and Gajapati districts for Monday, November 2. An orange warning for heavy to very heavy rainfall has been issued for Gajapati, Ganjam, Rayagada, Koraput, and Malkangiri districts for Tuesday, November 3.
The IMD has advised fishermen not to venture into the sea until Wednesday afternoon, November 4, and those already at sea have been urged to return to port immediately. Sea conditions off and along the Andhra Pradesh coast are expected to remain rough from Monday to Wednesday.
Why it matters for Nepal
Previous cyclonic activity, such as Cyclone Arnab, impacted Nepal's weather, increasing the likelihood of rainfall in Koshi, Madhesh, Bagmati, Gandaki, and Lumbini provinces, and snowfall in high-hill and Himalayan regions. Nepal has a significant student population in India, with Nepali students accounting for 24.1 percent of all international students enrolled in Indian universities and colleges in the 2023-24 academic year.
