India Meteorological Department warns of possible cyclone Murasu approaching Andhra Pradesh
The IMD said a depression over the southeast Bay of Bengal could intensify into a cyclone by Monday, bringing heavy rain and strong winds to Andhra Pradesh and surrounding regions.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an alert that a depression over the southeast Bay of Bengal is strengthening and could become a cyclone, provisionally named Murasu, by Monday. The system, which originated from a low-pressure area identified on Saturday, is centered about 330 km west-southwest of Sri Vijayapuram and is expected to bring intense rainfall to coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam on Monday, followed by thunder squalls with near-cyclonic winds of 50-60 km/h, gusting to 70 km/h, on Tuesday.
The department forecast isolated very heavy rain for coastal Andhra Pradesh, Yanam, and the Rayalaseema region on Tuesday and Wednesday, and also warned of heavy rain across Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Karaikal, Telangana, Kerala and Mahe over the next few days. Coastal Karnataka may see rain on Wednesday, with interior Karnataka affected from Tuesday onward.
Recent weather patterns have already produced heavy to very heavy rainfall in parts of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, West Bengal, Telangana, Sikkim, Bihar and Chhattisgarh. In Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Chodavaram recorded 50 cm of rain during a 24-hour period.
Warm sea-surface temperatures of 29-30°C and low vertical wind shear are supporting the rapid development of the system, marking an unusually active cyclonic period in the Bay of Bengal. The IMD noted that the first cyclone of the season, Arnab, formed in the same region on October 23 and intensified quickly, suggesting that Murasu could follow a similar trajectory depending on evolving atmospheric and oceanic conditions.
Officials advised residents in the potentially affected areas to stay alert and monitor updates as the next 48 hours are critical for tracking the system’s development and possible landfall.