Cyclone Murasu brings deluge to parched Prakasam district

Screengrab taken from a video shows the devastation due to the Cyclone Murasu in Prakasam district. | Photo Credit: The Hindu

As the Severe Cyclonic Storm ‘Murasu’ over the Bay of Bengal began to cross the Andhra Pradesh coast near Kothapatnam, around 20 km from Ongole, at 1 a.m. on Tuesday (November 3, 2026), it brought very heavy rainfall to the two districts of Prakasam and Bapatla overnight.

In one night, the overall rainfall deficit of Prakasam district, which stood at a little over 64% as of November 2, came down to 58.6%.

Cyclone Murasu LIVE updates

Between 8.30 a.m. on Monday (November 2, 2026) and 12 a.m. on Tuesday (November 3, 2026), there was a lull in the rainfall activity in districts that were likely to be affected by the cyclone. However, as the storm began moving closer to the land, many weather stations in Central A.P. and South Coastal A.P. received received very heavy rainfall of around 200 mm within six hours.

According to the Directorate of Economics and Statistics (DES), which provides realtime weather information in all 688 mandals of the State, as of 6 a.m., Naguluppalapadu recorded the maximum of 198.01 mm rainfall, followed by Kothapatnam at 182.25 mm, Acharya N. G. Ranga Agricultural University area in Bapatla district recorded 128.53 mm, Chirala recorded 124.1 mm, Bapatla town recorded 119.75 mm.

Narsapuram of West Godavari district, where the Very Severe Cyclonic Storm made the landfall, recorded 109 mm rainfall. Ongole Urban recorded 106 mm rainfall and Chilakapadu of Prakasam district recorded 104.5 mm rainfall. West Godavari and Krishna districts also recorded moderate showers during the night.

Meanwhile, the landfall process is likely to continue till 9 a.m. The storm may move north-northwestwards and weaken gradually into a cyclonic storm by noon and further into a deep depression by Tuesday midnight. But, the A.P. State Disaster Management Authority(APSDMA) has alerted the public as gale winds may continue in Prakasam and SPSR Nellore districts till noon.

According to reports, vehicles have been stopped in the early morning hours on a highway near Ongole, due to gales of speed reaching 90-100 kmph. (There are two highways, not sure which yet).

A storm surge warning has also been given, as a surge of 1.0-1.5 metres height above astronomical tide is expected to inundate low-lying areas along the coastal line in the districts of Bapatla and Krishna.

A red alert is in place for the districts of Tirupati, Nandyal and Palnadu for Tuesday (November 3, 2026) and an orange alert for 11 other districts.

Published - November 03, 2026 07:47 am IST