Chennai Schools Closed Today, Andhra on Red Alert for Severe Landfall Near Ongole
Bracing for severe coastal weather just days after being battered by Cyclone Arnab, southern India’s eastern seaboard is on high alert as a deep depression over the southwest and adjoining west-central Bay of Bengal intensified into Cyclone Murasu on Monday, November 2, 2026. Tracking menacingly toward the southern Andhra Pradesh coastline, the cyclonic storm has triggered emergency precautionary protocols across regional administrations, prompting the suspension of classes in schools and colleges across Chennai and Tiruvallur on Monday. With the weather system maintaining an aggressive west-northwest trajectory at a forward velocity of 23 kmph, meteorological radars situated roughly 300 kilometers east of Chennai indicate that the storm is undergoing rapid intensification into a severe cyclonic storm, setting the stage for extensive wind damage, storm surges, and torrential downpours across coastal districts over the next 48 hours.
Landfall Timeline and Gale-Force Gusts: Severe Storm Tracking Between Nellore and Narsapur
According to official advisories issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the cyclonic storm is projected to gain additional momentum over the west-central Bay of Bengal before steering northwestward to strike the mainland near Ongole, crossing between Nellore and Narsapur. Weather forecasters anticipate the critical landfall window to unfold between 11:30 PM IST on Monday, November 2, and 4:00 AM IST on Tuesday, November 3, bringing sustained wind speeds ranging from 100 to 110 kmph with ferocious gale-force gusts peaking at 120 kmph. The atmospheric disturbance is forecasted to unleash heavy to extremely heavy rainfall over coastal Andhra Pradesh on November 3 and 4, accompanied by rough to phenomenal sea conditions along the maritime boundary that have forced fishing communities to anchor their craft and stay clear of open waters.
Precautionary Closures in Tamil Nadu & Multi-Agency Evacuation Drills in Andhra Pradesh
In response to localized squall warnings and anticipated waterlogging, Chennai District Collector S. Malathy Helen and Tiruvallur District Collector S. Kavitha declared a mandatory closure of all schools and collegiate institutions for Monday, while the Tamil Nadu Department of Revenue Administration and Disaster Management directed field collectors to activate around-the-clock emergency squads. Across the border, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu convened a high-level disaster readiness review, mandating seamless inter-departmental synergy to execute early evacuations from low-lying delta zones into fortified relief camps. With the IMD issuing a red alert for coastal districts alongside an orange alert across Rayalaseema and Telangana, disaster response machinery has moved into forward positions, deploying six battalions of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and seven teams of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF). Emergency control rooms have commenced 24x7 operations, with state officials urging residents in vulnerable settlements to heed evacuation protocols and dial toll-free helpline numbers 112 or 1070 for real-time rescue and civic assistance.
