Cyclone Murasu nears Andhra coast, Ganjam shuts educational institutions until November 3

Days after Cyclone Arnab, another system is brewing over the Bay of Bengal. The depression is likely to strengthen into a severe cyclonic storm, to be named Murasu, and cross the south Andhra Pradesh coast on the morning of Tuesday, November 3.

Storm position and forecast

At 5:30 am IST on November 1, the system was centred near 11.5°N, 86.4°E, having moved west-northwest at about 23 kmph over the previous six hours. It lay roughly:

• 700 km east-southeast of Chennai
• 770 km south-southeast of Visakhapatnam
• 770 km southeast of Machilipatnam
• 810 km east-southeast of Ongole

The IMD said conditions favour further intensification. The system is expected to become a cyclonic storm over the southwest and adjoining west-central Bay of Bengal within six hours, and a severe cyclonic storm over the west-central Bay on November 2.

It is then likely to cross the south Andhra Pradesh coast between Nellore and Narsapur by the morning of November 3, with wind speeds of 100 to 110 kmph and gusts up to 120 kmph.

Schools to remain closed

Because of the risk of heavy rain, all Anganwadi centres, schools, degree colleges, technical institutions and universities in Ganjam will stay closed until November 3. Teachers and staff must still report for duty, the District Collectorate said.