Cyclone Montha Intensifies: Andhra Pradesh and Odisha Brace for Landfall with Evacuations, Heavy Rains

New Delhi (India) October 28: Cyclone Montha became a severe cyclonic storm over the Bay of Bengal. The coastal states of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha are on high alert, evacuating residents and bracing for a landfall that is expected later Friday tonight near Kakinada. The storm, with 110 kmph wind speed power, has already lashed heavy rain coupled with squally winds across the coastal belt.

Storm Nears Coastline

Cyclone Montha was located 190 km south-southeast of Machilipatnam and 340 km south of Visakhapatnam during Monday morning, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. The system is likely to hit the coast between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam by this evening/night.

The storm’s outer bands have already lashed various coastal districts, disrupting normal life in Chittoor, Tirupati and Kakinada.

Widespread Flooding

Moderate to heavy rain has been lashing for four days in the Nagari constituency of Chittoor district. Floodwaters from the Kushasthali river submerged important roads, and authorities stopped traffic between Nagari town and countryside including Thiruttani and Pallipattu (File Pic) The floodwater of the Kushasthali had disconnected leading roads, prompting authorities to stop vehicular movement between Nagari town and rural areas like by way of Thiruttani. 

Authorities discharged 1,000 cusecs of water in the Krishnapuram reservoir as a precautionary measure and local authorities remained on high alert.

Mass Evacuations

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has instructed authorities to take up the evacuation process of people in the coastal areas exposed to Cyclone Montha and shift them to relief centres. Nearly 10,000 people were evacuated in the Kakinada and Konaseema region while 126 pregnant women from these areas were shifted to hospitals. The Odisha Government was also preparing to evacuate people from their homes owing to adverse weather conditions in eight southern districts which were put under “red alert”.

Transport Disruptions

Air travel was disrupted as the cyclonic storm approached. Six flights to and from Visakhapatnam were cancelled in the wake of adverse rains.

Train services were also affected as the Railways cancelled and short-terminated a few services. The Howrah-Jagdalpur Samaleswari Express will run up to Rayagada and Hirakhand Express and Intercity Express will ply between Bhubaneswar/Rourkela-Rouguda only, bypassing the stretch depending on it.

Government Response

Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister reviews Railway’s preparedness for Cyclone Montha. In a statement, the government said Mr. Vaishnaw ordered the railway zones concerned to be ready to take precautions against the storm’s potential impact on India’s east coast.

The railway minister also held discussions and disclosed the important action points that would include activation of divisional war rooms, preparation including identification of materials, machinery and labour particularly in divisions namely Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam and Guntur, as well as monitoring of train working for passenger convenience.

Port and Weather Alerts

Port authorities in Chennai, Ennore and Kattupalli have been advised to hoist Local Warning signal No 4,’ said Regional Meteorology Centre (RMC) Director B Amudha.

Cyclone warning 3 and 4 meaning gales at the port. Signal 4 indicates that wind speeds at the surface are expected to be within 28-33 knots, signalling danger to ships which are in harbour.

The IMD forecast has predicted heavy rains and thunderstorms in south Bengal from Tuesday including Kolkata, Howrah, Hooghly, South 24 Parganas and Purba and Pashchim Medinipurs. Gusts may reach 80-90 kmph and those into the sea are advised not to venture out into the sea.