Cyclone Murasu is approaching the Andhra Pradesh coast, with the India Meteorological Department forecasting a crossing between Nellore and Narsapur late on November 2 or early on November 3. The forecast places the crossing close to Ongole and warns of sustained winds of 100–110 kilometres per hour, gusting to 120 kilometres per hour.
The warning comes as coastal communities monitor another Bay of Bengal storm shortly after Cyclone Arnab. Murasu's projected arrival is a forecast, not confirmation that landfall has occurred. Its position, intensity and expected crossing time can change as subsequent observations become available.
What the latest reports say
The IMD's National Bulletin No. 12, issued at 9 a.m. IST on November 2, placed Murasu over the west-central and adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal. The bulletin classified the system as a severe cyclonic storm and set out its forecast crossing window and expected wind speeds.
An early-morning position reported at 2:30 a.m. put the storm approximately 260 kilometres east-northeast of Chennai. A later observation, at 5:30 a.m., placed it around 200 kilometres east-northeast of the city. These are successive observations rather than interchangeable descriptions of its present position.
The expected crossing window extends from around 11:30 p.m. on November 2 to 4 a.m. on November 3. Readers checking conditions later in the day should use the newest bulletin rather than treating the morning forecast as a fixed timetable.
Rainfall risk extends beyond the crossing point
The weather threat is not confined to the place where the centre reaches land. Reports citing the IMD describe heavy rainfall risks across parts of Andhra Pradesh, with effects also expected in neighbouring states. Southern Odisha is among the areas where substantial rainfall has been forecast for November 2 and 3.
Tamil Nadu and Telangana are also monitoring the system. District-level warnings matter because rainfall can vary considerably within a state. A warning covering one coastal district should not be read as a statement that every town in the region will experience the same conditions.
Wind and rainfall are separate parts of the forecast. The strongest winds near the storm centre do not describe the conditions in every inland location, while heavy rain can affect places outside the immediate crossing zone. That distinction is especially important when assessing travel plans and local announcements.
Why the next bulletin matters
Storm updates contain an observation time as well as a publication time. A position reported in a morning news article may describe conditions several hours earlier. Comparing those timestamps is more useful than comparing dramatic labels on social-media posts.
