Cyclone Murasu brings deluge to parched Prakasam district

On November 3, 2026, the Severe Cyclonic Storm 'Murasu' moved across the Andhra Pradesh coast, bringing heavy rainfall to the districts of Prakasam and Bapatla. Overnight, the district of Prakasam, which had a rainfall deficit of over 64% as of November 2, saw its deficit decrease to 58.6%. Between 8:30 a.m. on November 2 and midnight on November 3, a brief period of calm in rainfall activity occurred, but as the storm approached land, many weather stations in Central and South Coastal Andhra Pradesh received intense rainfall of around 200 mm in just six hours.

Naguluppalapadu recorded the highest rainfall at 198.01 mm, followed by Kothapatnam at 182.25 mm, Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University in Bapatla district with 128.53 mm, Chirala at 124.1 mm, and Bapatla town at 119.75 mm. Narsapuram in West Godavari district, where the storm made landfall, recorded 109 mm, while Ongole Urban and Chilakapadu in Prakasam district recorded 106 mm and 104.5 mm, respectively.

West Godavari and Krishna districts also experienced moderate showers. The storm is expected to continue its landfall process until 9 a.m., and may weaken into a cyclonic storm by noon and further into a deep depression by midnight. Despite this, the AP State Disaster Management Authority has warned the public that gale winds may persist in Prakasam and SPSR Nellore districts until noon.

A storm surge warning has been issued, with a surge of 1.0-1.5 meters above astronomical tide expected to inundate low-lying areas in Bapatla and Krishna districts. Red alerts are in place for Tirupati, Nandyal, and Palnadu for Tuesday, while an orange alert has been issued for 11 other districts.