Cyclone Murasu intensifies over Bay of Bengal; IMD tracks approach to Andhra coast

Cyclonic Storm Murasu strengthened over the southwest and west-central Bay of Bengal on Sunday, November 1, as it moved toward India’s east coast. In an evening bulletin, the India Meteorological Department placed the storm about 350 kilometres east of Chennai and forecast that it would intensify further before approaching the south Andhra Pradesh coast. The agency’s track and timing were forecasts, not a guarantee of the exact landfall point.

The bulletin said Murasu was likely to move northwest and become a severe cyclonic storm by the early hours of November 2. IMD projected a possible crossing of the south Andhra Pradesh coast between midnight on November 2 and early November 3, with sustained winds of 100–110 kilometres an hour and gusts up to 120 kilometres an hour. That forecast window was current at the bulletin’s issue time and could change with later updates.

At 5:30 p.m. IST, the system’s centre was roughly 420 kilometres east-southeast of Chennai, 490 kilometres from Nellore and 530 kilometres southeast of Ongole, according to the IMD coastal weather bulletin. It had moved west-northwest at about 25 kilometres an hour over the preceding six hours. A cyclone’s centre can remain offshore while its outer rain bands and winds affect a much wider area, so distance from the centre is not a direct measure of local safety.

For Tamil Nadu, the approaching storm raised the prospect of heavy rain and rough seas even though the projected landfall zone lay farther north. The IMD bulletin carried coastal and marine information for several stretches, including wind and sea-condition advisories. Fishermen and port operators rely on these warnings because strong winds and waves can make small craft vulnerable well away from the eventual landfall. Local administrations may issue separate district orders as forecasts become more precise.

Residents should treat the latest official forecast as controlling. Cyclone tracks are updated as new satellite, radar and ocean observations arrive. A predicted cone represents uncertainty in the storm’s centre path; it does not show every place that could receive rain or damaging winds. The regional weather office may also refine rainfall estimates and warning categories for districts as the system nears land.

The IMD’s naming of Murasu follows the regional naming list used for storms in the North Indian Ocean. The name identifies the system; it does not describe its strength. Intensity is conveyed by categories such as cyclonic storm and severe cyclonic storm, alongside forecast wind speeds. The storm’s expected movement and strength were based on the agency’s November 1 bulletin and should not be treated as a later final report.

People in coastal Andhra Pradesh, north Tamil Nadu and nearby districts should monitor updates from IMD and their state disaster-management authorities, secure loose outdoor items, avoid beaches and exposed jetties during rough weather, and follow evacuation or shelter instructions if local officials issue them. The safest practical rule is to prepare early and act on district-specific orders rather than waiting for the centre to come ashore.