Cyclone Murasu LIVE: Chennai, Tiruvallur schools shut as system intensifies; heavy rain alert in Odisha, Andhra

Days after Andhra Pradesh was battered by Cyclone Arnab, high-speed winds are expected to hit the coastal state by November 3.

Cyclone Murasu LIVE updates: Cyclonic storm ‘Murasu’ strengthened into a severe cyclonic storm over the west-central and southwest Bay of Bengal in the early hours of Monday. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the storm is likely to maintain its northwestward trajectory and make landfall along the south Andhra Pradesh coast. At the time of crossing, wind speeds are expected to range between 100 and 110 kmph, with gusts reaching up to 120 kmph....Read More

In view of the forecast of heavy rain, the district administrations of Tamil Nadu’s Chennai and Tiruvallur have declared a holiday for all schools and colleges on Monday. Meanwhile, the IMD has issued an orange alert for six districts and a yellow alert for five districts in Telangana, warning of adverse weather conditions.

The weather agency has also indicated the possibility of Murasu intensifying further into a very severe cyclonic storm before reaching the Andhra Pradesh coastline. The system is expected to cross the coast between Nellore and Narsapur on the morning of November 3. The new cyclone comes days after Andhra Pradesh was battered by Cyclone Arnab.

Cyclone to be named ‘Murasu’ if it develops

If the weather system fully develops into a cyclone, it will be named Murasu, meaning ‘drum’ in Tamil, HT reported earlier. The name has been proposed by India.

November to see below-normal rain, above-normal temperatures

Earlier during a virtual press conference,IMD DG Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, also said below-normal rainfall and above-normal temperatures were likely across most parts of the country in November. October 2026, meanwhile, was the hottest October since 1901 in terms of the country's average maximum temperature.

“At present, we expect this to form into a cyclonic storm. Once formed, it will be named as Murasu. There is a slight possibility it may turn into a severe cyclonic storm too, but at present, our forecast is for a cyclonic storm, which should hit the Andhra coastline on the morning of November 3,” Mohapatra said.

Follow all the updates here:

Nov 2, 2026, 08:52:53 IST

Cyclone Murasu LIVE: Chennai District Collector S Malathi Helen and Tiruvallur District Collector S Kavitha announced a holiday for schools and colleges on Monday. As per the announcement said, a holiday has been declared for schools and colleges "for one day only" on Monday, 02.11.2026.

Nov 2, 2026, 08:46:14 IST

Cyclone Murasu LIVE updates: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said Cyclone ‘Murasu’ has become a severe cyclonic storm. At 2:30 am IST on November 2, it was about 260 km east-northeast of Chennai. It was also about 290 km east-southeast of Nellore, 320 km south-southeast of Machilipatnam, 310 km east-southeast of Kavali, 330 km southeast of Ongole and 470 km south of Visakhapatnam. In the past 6 hours, it moved nearly northwestwards at a speed of 20 kmph.

IMD said the storm is very likely to keep moving northwestwards and cross the south Andhra Pradesh coast between Nellore and Narsapur, close to Ongole. This is likely to happen between midnight (11:30 pm IST) of November 2 and the early hours (4 am IST) of November 3. The wind speed is likely to be 100 to 110 kmph, gusting to 120 kmph.