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. - ANI Published - November 03, 2026 06:44 am IST