Cyclone Murasu Threatens Andhra Coast Days After Arnab's Destruction

Days after Cyclone Arnab caused extensive damage along the Andhra Pradesh coast, another cyclonic storm, 'Murasu', has formed over the Bay of Bengal, prompting the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to issue a cyclone alert for Andhra Pradesh and adjoining north Tamil Nadu coasts.

According to the IMD, the deep depression over the southwest and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal moved west-northwestwards at a speed of 23 kmph during the six hours preceding its latest update on Sunday, November 1, and intensified into Cyclone Murasu over the southwest and adjoining west-central Bay of Bengal.

At 11.30 am on November 1, the storm was centred near latitude 12.1°N and longitude 85.3°E. It was located approximately 560 km east-southeast of Chennai, 660 km south-southeast of Visakhapatnam, 630 km east-southeast of Nellore, 640 km southeast of Machilipatnam and 680 km east-southeast of Ongole.

The weather department has forecast that Murasu will continue moving west-northwestwards and intensify into a Severe Cyclonic Storm by the morning of November 2. Subsequently, it is likely to move northwestwards and cross the south Andhra Pradesh coast between Nellore and Narsapur as a severe cyclonic storm.

The expected landfall window is between 11.30 pm on November 2 and 4 am on November 3. During the crossing, the system is likely to bring sustained wind speeds of 100–110 kmph, with gusts reaching up to 120 kmph, according to the IMD forecast.

The formation of Murasu comes at a difficult time for Andhra Pradesh, which is still assessing the damage caused by Cyclone Arnab earlier this week. Arnab made landfall near Odalarevu on October 29, leaving a trail of destruction along the state's coastline.

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu had estimated the preliminary total losses caused by Arnab at around ₹4,600 crore across Andhra Pradesh.

With another severe cyclone approaching the coast within days, the latest weather forecast has raised concerns over the possibility of further damage to coastal districts and the challenges of recovery from the previous storm.