Cyclone Montha: The severe cyclonic storm, Montha, initiated its landfall on the Andhra Pradesh coast around 7:30 PM on Tuesday. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) expects this process to continue for another three to four hours.
The cyclonic system is forecast to cross the Andhra Pradesh coastline between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam, near Kakinada, within the next few hours. It is accompanied by sustained winds of 90-100 kmph, with gusts reaching up to 110 kmph.
Montha, named by Thailand, intensified into a Severe Cyclonic Storm on Tuesday morning, moving towards the Andhra Pradesh coast and causing significant rainfall in parts of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Tamil Nadu.
In preparation for the cyclone’s impact, 25 teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been strategically deployed across Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, and Puducherry.
Key Updates on Cyclonic Storm Montha:
- The cyclone’s influence has already led to rainfall in various coastal areas. Machilipatnam recorded 5.2 mm of rain, followed by Narasapur (9.8 mm), Tuni (15.6 mm), Kakinada (5.7 mm), and Visakhapatnam (0.2 mm).
- Nellore district experienced continuous rain for 36 hours, averaging five cm in the last 24 hours, with some areas receiving up to seven cm, according to official reports.
- The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister’s office reported that crops spanning 38,000 hectares of standing crops and 1.38 lakh hectares of horticulture crops have been destroyed due to the severe cyclonic storm.
- Approximately 76,000 individuals have been moved to relief camps, and the government has established 219 medical camps across affected regions.
- Authorities in Andhra Pradesh have announced the suspension of vehicular movement in seven cyclone-prone districts—Krishna, Eluru, East Godavari, West Godavari, Kakinada, and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema districts, along with the Chinturu and Rampachodavaram revenue divisions in the Alluri Sitarama Raju district—from 8:30 PM on Tuesday to 6 AM on Wednesday.
- The cyclone has also brought heavy rainfall to coastal and southern districts of Odisha, resulting in landslides, damage to houses, and uprooted trees. Preliminary damage reports have been received from eight southern Odisha districts: Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Gajapati, Ganjam, Kandhamal, Kalahandi, and Nabarangpur.
- Odisha’s Chief Minister, Mohan Charan Majhi, assured that the state government is well-prepared and has set up over 2,000 disaster relief centers in eight southern districts to support those likely to be affected.
- In response to the adverse weather conditions, Indian Railways has cancelled at least 120 trains and rescheduled or diverted others, impacting approximately 160 services, particularly those operating between Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada.
- At least 35 flights connecting Telangana’s Shamshabad to Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, and Rajahmundry airports in Andhra Pradesh have been cancelled. Flight operations at Visakhapatnam airport have also been suspended.