Cyclone Murasu LIVE: Cyclonic ctorm fast approaching Andhra coast; Tamil Nadu sends 90 NDRF personnel, 500 power staff | India News

Cyclone Murasu LIVE updates: Cyclonic storm ‘Murasu’ strengthened into a severe cyclonic storm over the west-central and southwest Bay of Bengal in the early hours of Monday. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the storm is likely to maintain its northwestward trajectory and make landfall between 11:30pm and 4am along the south Andhra Pradesh coast. At the time of crossing, wind speeds are expected to range between 100 and 110 kmph, with gusts reaching up to 120 kmph. The name Murasu has been proposed by India.In view of the forecast of heavy rain, the district administrations of Tamil Nadu’s Chennai and Tiruvallur have declared a holiday for all schools and colleges on Monday. Meanwhile, the IMD has issued an orange alert for six districts and a yellow alert for five districts in Telangana, warning of adverse weather conditions.The new cyclone comes days after Andhra Pradesh was battered by Cyclone Arnab.Cyclone Murasu landfall around midnightThe storm is expected to move northwestwards and cross the south Andhra Pradesh coast between Nellore and Narsapur, south of Ongole, around 11.30 pm on Monday and 4 am on Tuesday, November 3, the IMD said.Wind speeds are likely to reach 100–110 kmph, with gusts of up to 120 kmph. The storm is being continuously monitored by Doppler weather radars in Chennai, Machilipatnam and Visakhapatnam.Odisha evacuates people from vulnerable areasOdisha expedited the evacuation of people from vulnerable areas on Monday as cyclone Murasu intensified. Disaster management minister Suresh Pujari said southern districts Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput and Malkangiri were on high alert, with more than 300 NDRF, ODRAF and Fire Service teams pre-positioned. Heavy rain with gusty winds of 40-50 kmph is forecast for parts of Gajapati and Ganjam.November to see below-normal rain, above-normal temperaturesEarlier during a virtual press conference, IMD DG Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, also said below-normal rainfall and above-normal temperatures were likely across most parts of the country in November. October 2026, meanwhile, was the hottest October since 1901 in terms of the country's average maximum temperature.