Cyclone Murasu leaves two dead and damages homes and crops as its remnant depression carries rain inland

Two deaths, damaged homes and widespread crop losses are reported as the former cyclone weakens over Telangana

HYDERABAD, India – Nov. 4, 2026 – The human and economic toll from Cyclone Murasu began to emerge Wednesday after the storm crossed the Andhra Pradesh coast, while its remnant depression carried the threat of further heavy rain inland.

Andhra Pradesh disaster-management officials reported two cyclone-related deaths, 312 damaged houses and crop damage across 52,459 hectares, according to accounts published by The Indian Express and The News Minute. Officials said 12,230 people were in rehabilitation centres. A preliminary loss estimate was 3.44 billion rupees, and 776 of 814 minor irrigation tanks under monitoring were on high alert. The assessment is preliminary and may change.

Storm weakens, but rain hazard moves inland

The India Meteorological Department placed the depression near 17.2 degrees north and 80.1 degrees east at 8:30 a.m. India Standard Time Wednesday, about 10 kilometres southwest of Khammam in Telangana and about 90 kilometres northwest of Vijayawada. It was moving nearly north at about 6 km/h and was forecast to weaken into a well-marked low-pressure area within six hours.

A coastal bulletin valid from 2:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. India time called for fairly widespread rain or thundershowers with isolated heavy falls along the Andhra Pradesh coast. The marine storm warning had ended, but saturated ground, swollen drainage channels and closely monitored irrigation tanks kept the flood threat active away from the former cyclone centre.

Landfall brought destructive wind and extreme rain

Murasu crossed the south Andhra Pradesh coast near Ongole between 3:30 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. India time Tuesday as a severe cyclonic storm. The India Meteorological Department reported sustained winds of 100 to 110 km/h with gusts to 120 km/h at landfall. The storm then weakened as it moved north across land.

The same official weather service reported 120 mm of rain at Ongole for the 24 hours ending at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday. Authorities had closed schools, disrupted some rail and air services and moved people from vulnerable areas before landfall. The latest shelter and damage figures show that the recovery will continue after the wind threat subsides.

Source note: India Meteorological Department coastal bulletin; India Meteorological Department sea-area bulletin; Andhra Pradesh cyclone information portal; The Indian Express impact report; The News Minute impact report.