Cyclone Murasu disrupts Hyderabad flights to Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam

HYDERABAD | 03-11-2026 : Flights connecting Hyderabad with Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam were cancelled or delayed on Monday, November 2, as Andhra Pradesh prepared for severe cyclonic storm Murasu. According to The Hindu, both IndiGo and Air India Express cancelled Hyderabad–Vijayawada services, while Hyderabad-linked flights at Visakhapatnam also faced disruption.

The cancellations brought a direct travel impact for Hyderabad passengers from a cyclone threatening the neighbouring state’s coast. The supplied reports describe preparations and weather warnings in Andhra Pradesh; they do not establish a cyclone warning for Hyderabad or Telangana.

Hyderabad routes affected

The Hindu reported that 12 flight services to and from Vijayawada were cancelled for the day, with Krishna district, where the airport is located, under a red alert. The affected routes extended beyond Hyderabad to Chennai, Visakhapatnam, Tirupati, Kurnool, Bengaluru and Mumbai.

For passengers travelling between Hyderabad and Vijayawada, the cancellation list included the following services, according to airport information carried by The Hindu:

• IndiGo 6E 6263/6E 6327, Hyderabad–Vijayawada–Hyderabad.
• IndiGo 6E 2580/6E 2581, Hyderabad–Vijayawada–Hyderabad.
• Air India Express IX 2405/2406, Hyderabad–Vijayawada–Hyderabad.

At Visakhapatnam, five IndiGo flights had been cancelled by late morning, The Hindu reported, citing the airport’s flight information page. These included Hyderabad-linked services 6E 714 and 6E 716, alongside two Tirupati services and a flight to Vijayawada. Another Hyderabad service, 6E 6645, was delayed.

The disruption did not amount to a complete suspension of operations at Visakhapatnam. The Hindu said most other services, including those connecting Delhi, Bengaluru and Abu Dhabi, were operating. Morning arrivals from Mumbai and Chennai were more than three hours late. Vijayawada airport advised passengers to contact their airlines for updates.

Coastal crossing forecast overnight

According to the India Meteorological Department information reported by The Hindu, Murasu was about 160 km east-southeast of Nellore at 8.30 a.m. on Monday and moving west-northwest at 22 kmph. The forecast placed its coastal crossing between Nellore and Narsapur, south of Ongole, between 11.30 p.m. Monday and 4 a.m. Tuesday.

Deccan Chronicle separately reported that an IMD bulletin cited by the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority projected winds of 100–110 kmph, with gusts reaching 120 kmph. These were forecasts ahead of the expected crossing, rather than confirmation that landfall had occurred.

Relief funds and medical precautions

Andhra Pradesh released ₹37 crore to 17 districts for rescue, relief and emergency response, according to Deccan Chronicle. An order issued on November 2 authorised district collectors and magistrates to draw funds for immediate relief expenditure. Six districts were allocated ₹3 crore each, eight received ₹2 crore each and three were sanctioned ₹1 crore each.

The newspaper reported that collectors were instructed to prioritise evacuation from flood-prone areas, drinking water, food, milk, medical camps and sanitation. The funds could also support emergency power arrangements and urgent repairs to roads and irrigation infrastructure. Schools and colleges could serve as shelters if existing facilities proved insufficient.

In Guntur district, 98 pregnant women had been moved to hospitals as a precaution, Deccan Chronicle reported. The district administration had identified 233 pregnant women for relocation, with the remaining transfers planned as early as possible. Officials also identified 17 villages vulnerable to inundation and kept 64 relief centres ready, while preparing another 19 centres for vulnerable municipal colonies.

Sources: The Hindu; Deccan Chronicle.