Chennai is bracing for significant rainfall as a developing low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal is anticipated to intensify into a cyclonic storm, and possibly a ‘severe’ cyclonic storm. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has indicated that if the system forms into a cyclone, it will be named ‘Montha,’ a name contributed by Thailand meaning ‘beautiful flowers’.
An orange alert has been issued for Chennai, Tiruvallur, and Ranipet districts, forecasting very heavy rainfall on October 27. The IMD’s latest forecast suggests the low-pressure area could become a depression by Saturday and a cyclonic storm by Sunday morning. It is projected to further intensify into a severe cyclonic storm by the morning of October 28.
Potential Cyclone ‘Montha’ and Its Path
The weather system, currently a depression over the southeast Bay of Bengal, is moving west-northwestwards. The IMD’s update places it approximately 460 km west-southwest of Port Blair. The system is expected to track northwestwards and then north-northwestwards. If it intensifies as predicted, it is likely to make landfall on the Andhra Pradesh coast between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam, near Kakinada, on the evening or night of October 28, with wind speeds potentially reaching 90-100 kmph, gusting up to 110 kmph.
Weather Warnings and Impact
The IMD has issued specific warnings for various regions. On October 28, an orange alert for heavy rainfall was declared for 10 districts in Odisha, including Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Khurda, Cuttack, Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput, and Malkangiri. The remaining 20 districts in Odisha are under a yellow warning for heavy rainfall.
Looking ahead to October 29, an orange warning for heavy rainfall has been issued for six districts in Odisha: Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Jajpur, Bhadrak, Balasore, and Mayurbhanj, with a yellow warning for ten other districts.
Tamil Nadu is also expected to experience widespread rainfall in the coming days, with several districts anticipating heavy showers. Chennai and its suburbs are forecast to receive light to moderate rainfall with isolated thunderstorms on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Karnataka’s capital, Bengaluru, may also see moderate to heavy rainfall accompanied by strong, gusty winds due to this developing weather pattern. The IMD has issued a yellow alert for Bengaluru, expecting rainfall until October 26.