KAKINADA (ANDHRA PRADESH): Cyclone Montha, brewing over the Bay of Bengal, is set to make landfall near Kakinada around midnight on Tuesday, crossing the coast between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam before moving towards southern Odisha.
Currently centred over the west-central Bay of Bengal and moving north-northwest, the storm is expected to intensify into a “severe cyclonic storm” with wind speeds of 90–100 kmph and gusts reaching up to 110 kmph before landfall.
The Andhra Pradesh government has placed the districts of Kakinada, Konaseema, West Godavari, Eluru, and East Godavari on high alert. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has directed officials to ensure zero loss of life.
Civil Supplies Minister Nadendla Manohar, in charge of Eluru district, said after a review meeting at the Kakinada collectorate that 269 rehabilitation centres have been set up with all essential facilities. Around 30 NDRF and 50 SDRF teams have been deployed, and earthmovers, tractors, generators, and fuel reserves are ready for emergency response.
“Nearly 140 pregnant women from nearby villages have been shifted to hospitals. Essential goods and medicines are stocked, holidays have been declared for all educational institutions till Wednesday, and all fishing boats have been called back,” Manohar said.
Odisha, Tamil Nadu Brace for Impact
While Andhra Pradesh will face the main impact of the cyclone, red and orange alerts have been issued across 23 districts. Neighbouring Odisha and Tamil Nadu are also preparing for heavy rainfall and strong winds.
In Odisha, the state government has evacuated 3,000 people from low-lying and vulnerable areas as rain lashed Bhubaneswar and southern districts. Among the evacuees are 1,496 pregnant women who have been moved to hospitals.
A total of 140 teams from the NDRF, ODRAF, and fire services have been deployed. Schools and anganwadi centres in eight red-zone districts will remain closed till Thursday. Authorities are monitoring Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput, and Malkangiri for possible landslides.
In northern Tamil Nadu, including Chennai, heavy rainfall is also forecast as the storm moves inland.
