CYCLONE MURASU: LANDFALL, IMPACT AND PREPAREDNESS EXPLAINED

Why In News?

Severe Cyclonic Storm Murasu began its landfall near Ongole in Prakasam district at 0100 hours IST on 3 November 2026. It struck less than a week after Cyclone Arnab hit the same coast.

What Is Cyclone Murasu?

• Origin: A low-pressure area formed over the southern Andaman Sea on 29 October 2026 under an upper-level cyclonic circulation.

• Intensification: It became a depression on 31 October and a deep depression on 1 November. It strengthened into a cyclonic storm the same day and was named Murasu.

• Favourable Conditions: The system grew over waters with a sea surface temperature of 29°C, with low vertical wind shear and an active Madden–Julian Oscillation phase.

• Peak Category: IMD classified it as a Severe Cyclonic Storm, the category for sustained winds of 89–117 km/h..

• Landfall Zone: The storm crossed the south Andhra Pradesh coast between Nellore and Narsapur, close to Ongole.

• Name Origin: India proposed the name Murasu, which means “drum” in Tamil. It refers to a traditional percussion instrument of the Tamil people.

IMD Intensity Scale

How Are Cyclones Named In The North Indian Ocean?

• RSMC New Delhi: IMD is one of six Regional Specialised Meteorological Centres (RSMCs) in the world. It is mandated to issue advisories and name cyclones over the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea.

• World Meteorological Organization (WMO)/United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) Panel on Tropical Cyclones: Set up in 1972, has 13 member countries: Bangladesh, India, Iran, Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, UAE and Yemen.

• Current List: The list adopted in April 2020 has 169 names, with 13 from each member country. Names are used in sequence and never repeated.

• Naming Threshold: A storm gets a name once its sustained winds reach 62 km/h.

• Naming Criteria: Names must be neutral to politics, religion, culture and gender, and no longer than eight letters.

Why Is The Bay Of Bengal So Prone To Cyclones?

• Warm Waters: The Bay of Bengal’s high sea surface temperatures supply the heat and moisture that fuel cyclones.

• Post-Monsoon Peak: October–December is the main cyclone season on India’s east coast, as retreating monsoon winds and warm seas favour storm formation.

• Andaman Sea Seedbed: Many Bay of Bengal cyclones, including Murasu, begin as low-pressure areas over the Andaman Sea and move northwest towards India.

• Low-Lying Deltas: Flat river deltas such as the Krishna–Godavari delta let storm surges travel far inland.

What Are The Key Challenges In Cyclone Management?

Back-To-Back Cyclones

• No Time To Recover: When cyclones strike in quick succession, damaged infrastructure and exhausted response teams face a second shock before recovery is complete.

• Example: Cyclone Arnab struck Andhra Pradesh on 27 October 2026, killing three people and forcing about 57,000 people into relief camps. Murasu then hit the same coast within a week, while the state was still repairing roads and power lines.

Infrastructure And Livelihood Losses

• Fragile Power Grids: Overhead power lines collapse in high winds, which cuts off water supply, communication and hospitals.

• Example: Murasu’s winds were expected to damage about 15,128 electricity poles across 12 districts in Andhra Pradesh.

• Farm And Fishing Losses: Cyclones hit farmers and fishers hardest, as their incomes depend directly on weather.

• Example: Andhra Pradesh’s fishermen had stayed ashore since before Arnab and were told to remain docked until 4 November, losing more than a week of earnings. In Telangana, farmers feared damage to standing paddy and cotton crops.

Intensifying Storms

• Rapid Intensification Risk: Warmer seas allow cyclones to strengthen suddenly, leaving less time for evacuation.

• Example: As Murasu moved through a highly favourable environment, meteorologists warned that it could intensify rapidly before landfall, which would shorten the warning window.

What Is The Way Forward For Cyclone Resilience?

Zero-Casualty Preparedness

• Pre-Emptive Mass Evacuation: Accurate forecasts must be matched with fast, targeted evacuations to shelters.

• Example: Before Cyclone Fani in May 2019, Odisha evacuated a record 1.2 million people in 24 hours. The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction credited IMD’s pinpoint warnings and the state’s “zero casualty” approach with saving many lives.

• Build Shelter Networks: Permanent multipurpose shelters make evacuation possible at scale.

• Example: Odisha had only 23 cyclone shelters in 1999, but now has over 200, with a shelter in almost every coastal village. As a result, Cyclone Phailin (2013) caused 38 deaths, compared with over 10,000 in the 1999 Super Cyclone.

Structural And Institutional Reforms

• Scale Up NCRMP: Expand cyclone-risk infrastructure along the entire coast.

• Example: The World Bank-funded National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project (Phase I), with an outlay of ₹2,541.60 crore, built multipurpose cyclone shelters, evacuation roads, bridges and saline embankments in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.

• Impact-Based Forecasting: Warnings should state what a storm will do, such as which villages will flood or which roads will close, not just wind speed.

• Climate-Proof Infrastructure: Underground power cables and strengthened embankments reduce repeated losses.

Community And Nature-Based Defences

• Volunteer Networks: Trained local volunteers can carry warnings to every household.

• Example: Bangladesh’s Cyclone Preparedness Programme uses a large network of trained village volunteers to spread warnings and guide evacuations, which has sharply reduced cyclone deaths in the country.

• Mangrove Bio-Shields: Restoring mangroves and coastal shelterbelts can absorb storm surges.

• Example: Under the MISHTI scheme, the government promotes mangrove plantation along the coastline to protect coastal communities.

Conclusion

Cyclone Murasu shows that India can now predict cyclones accurately, but back-to-back storms expose gaps in recovery. Long-term resilience needs climate-proof infrastructure, stronger livelihoods and community-led preparedness along the entire east coast.

Source: INDIANEXPRESS