A cyclonic storm named Murasu has formed over the Bay of Bengal and is expected to strengthen into a severe cyclonic storm before reaching India's east coast. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the system developed from a deep depression on Sunday, 1 November.

Forecast landfall and winds

At 11:30am on Sunday, the storm was centred over the south-west and adjoining west-central Bay of Bengal, about 560 kilometres east-south-east of Chennai and 660 kilometres south-south-east of Visakhapatnam. It was moving west-north-west at about 23 kilometres per hour. The IMD expects Murasu to become a severe cyclonic storm on Monday morning, then move north-west and cross the south Andhra Pradesh coast between Nellore and Narsapur, on the night of 2 November into the early hours of 3 November.

At landfall, sustained winds of 100 to 110 kilometres per hour are forecast, with gusts reaching up to 120 kilometres per hour. Those figures are forecasts, not observations, and the track and timing could still change as new bulletins are issued.

Rain warnings beyond Andhra Pradesh

Coastal Andhra Pradesh faces the greatest threat, with heavy to extremely heavy rainfall expected on 2 and 3 November. Rayalaseema, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and south Odisha are also expected to receive substantial rainfall. Southern Odisha is not expected to face a direct landfall, but districts including Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput and Malkangiri face heavy to very heavy rainfall, and the state government has placed the southern region on high alert. Fishermen along the Andhra Pradesh, north Tamil Nadu and Odisha coasts have been advised not to go to sea until at least 4 November. Residents in the forecast path should follow the latest IMD bulletins rather than relying on this summary alone. Sources: The Hindu BusinessLine and Odisha Ray.