Cyclone Murasu LIVE updates: Landfall continues in Andhra Pradesh, several districts on high alert amid heavy rainfall

Home News India Several thatched houses collapsed and residents were stranded in Ongole; District Collectors informed Chief Minister Naidy that arrangements were being made for counting votes in the local body elections alongside cyclone relief operations. Updated - November 03, 2026 06:53 am IST Pushcarts and shop nameboards lie scattered along Kothapatnam Beach Road in Ongole after being blown away by strong winds and rain triggered by Cyclone Murasu/ | Photo Credit: Kommuri Srinivas The landfall process of the Severe Cyclonic Storm ‘Murasu’ commenced at 1 a.m. on Tuesday (November 3, 2026) near Ongole, with the observed maximum sustained wind speed of 110 kmph to 120 kmph at the landfall point.As per updates received at 5.30 a.m., the landfall process is expected to be completed in another two hours. The cyclone has been moving at a speed of 9 kmph over the past six hours. Several districts are forecast to receive heavy rainfall today, including West Godavari, Eluru, Krishna, NTR, Guntur, Bapatla, Palnadu, Markapuram, Prakasam and Nellore districts. Prakhar Jain, SDMA Managing Director and RTGS CEO, urged people to remain highly alert.Watch: Days after Cyclone Arnab, Cyclone ‘Murasu’ forms over Bay of BengalSeveral thatched houses collapsed and residents were stranded at Samatha Nagar in Ongole, Prakasam district, following heavy rains and strong winds triggered by Cyclone Murasu. The district administration has initiated rescue operations to evacuate those stranded. The statue of Andhra Kesari Tanguturi Prakasam Panthulu in the Prakasam district Collectorate premises in Ongole collapsed early Tuesday after a large tree fell on it due to heavy rain and strong winds.Follow LIVE updates here Andhra activates 'Mana Mitra' WhatsApp helpline for disaster relief, grievance redressal In an effort to provide swift assistance to citizens affected by Cyclone Murasu, the Andhra Pradesh government’s Real Time Governance Society (RTGS) has rolled out a dedicated grievance reporting mechanism through its ‘Mana Mitra’ WhatsApp Governance platform, an official release said on Monday.Residents in cyclone-hit regions can report emergencies and civic disruptions—such as power outages, uprooted trees, collapsed walls, waterlogging, and other distress situations—by sending a message to the dedicated WhatsApp number 9552300009.The facility is designed to establish direct communication between citizens and administration, enabling prompt on-ground intervention and effective coordination during disaster management operations.According to officials, citizens can report cyclone-related grievances by following a simple step-by-step process: Send a “Hi” to WhatsApp number 9552300009. Select the “Services” option from the menu. Choose “Murasu Cyclone Issues”. Click on “Report Issue” and confirm. - ANINovember 03, 2026 06:53 Several thatched houses collapse, residents stranded in Ongole's Samatha NagarSeveral thatched houses collapsed and residents were stranded at Samatha Nagar in Ongole, Prakasam district, following heavy rains and strong winds triggered by Cyclone Murasu. The district administration has initiated rescue operations to evacuate those stranded.Meanwhile, several houses were inundated in Beeramgunta village of Kothapatnam mandal in Prakasam district.-Sambasiva Rao M.November 03, 2026 06:52 Statue of Andhra Kesari Tanguturi Prakasam Panthulu at Prakasam Bhavan collapsesThe statue of Andhra Kesari Tanguturi Prakasam Panthulu at Prakasam Bhavan in the Prakasam district Collectorate premises in Ongole collapsed early Tuesday after a large tree fell on it due to heavy rain and strong winds triggered by Cyclone Murasu.Sambasiva Rao M.WhatsApp Image 2026-11-03 at 06.22.40.jpegNovember 03, 2026 06:51 Landfall commenced near Ongole at 1 a.m.The landfall process of the Severe Cyclonic Storm ‘Murasu’ has commenced at 1 a.m. on Tuesday (November 3, 2026) with the inner spiral band in the northern sector entering South Coastal Andhra Pradesh. The wall cloud region is very close to the coast, the IMD said in its 2.10 a.m. release.The IMD has also warned of a storm surge, which may inundate low-lying areas of South Coastal Andhra Pradesh. The maximum peak surge is expected over Bapatla and also over Krishna and Prakasam districts.The IMD has also said there would be heavy spells of rainfall in South Coastal A.P. during the next 12 hours.Nellore SravaniNovember 03, 2026 06:50 A.P. CM Naidu holds teleconference with Collectors of cyclone-impacted districtsAfter cyclone Murasu made landfall post midnight, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu held a review with district Collectors and officials at 3.30 a.m.The Chief Minister directed officials to ensure that people in cyclone-affected areas did not venture onto roads and to take all necessary precautions to prevent loss of life and minimise property damage. He also enquired about the condition of electricity poles and substations. Energy department officials informed him that no electricity poles had fallen and there were no disruptions to power supply anywhere.The Collectors also informed the Chief Minister that arrangements were being made for counting votes in the local body elections alongside cyclone relief operations.Sambasiva Rao M.November 03, 2026 06:48 Landfall to be completed in another two hours - Update received at 5.30 a.m.Cyclone Murasu is crossing the coast, and the landfall process is expected to be completed in another two hours. The cyclone has been moving at a speed of 9 kmph over the past six hours. It is currently centred 20 km from Ongole, 60 km from Bapatla, 70 km from Kavali, 110 km from Nellore and 130 km from Machilipatnam. It is likely to cross the coast near Ongole, bringing strong winds of 100–120 kmph during landfall. Several districts are forecast to receive heavy rainfall today. These include West Godavari, Eluru, Krishna, NTR, Guntur, Bapatla, Palnadu, Markapuram, Prakasam and Nellore districts. Prakhar Jain, SDMA Managing Director and RTGS CEO, urged people to remain highly alert.Sambasiva Rao M. Published - November 03, 2026 06:44 am ISTSign in to unlock member-only benefits!Access 10 free stories every monthSave stories to read laterAccess to comment on every storySign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single clickGet notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products