CHENNAI: Cyclone ‘Montha’, which is expected to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm, has begun, Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA) Managing Director Prakhar Jain said on Monday.
Coastal districts are experiencing rain and strong gales.
Thai word ‘Montha’ means fragrant flower.
“Cyclone has begun. Coastal districts are witnessing rainfall accompanied by gales,” Jain said in a release, adding that the system would intensify further as it approached land.
According to Jain, the cyclone moved at a speed of 18 km per hour in the last six hours. It was located about 560 km off Visakhapatnam by evening and is expected to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm by Tuesday morning.
“The cyclone is likely to cross the Andhra Pradesh coast near Kakinada during the evening or night of October 28 as a severe cyclonic storm,” he said, urging residents in coastal districts to remain vigilant and follow safety advisories.
NTR district Collector G Lakshmisha told PTI Videos that all departments were on high alert. “Several teams have been deployed and are working in coordination. We have kept 180 rehabilitation centres ready, along with 24 drones for continuous weather monitoring,” he said.
Vijayawada Police Commissioner SV Rajasekhar Babu said the police department was fully geared up for the cyclone, with officers deployed across each ward secretariat. “A control room is monitoring the situation, and 42 drones have been deployed for real-time assessment,” he said, adding that residents of 360 houses were being evacuated as a precaution.
Cyclone ‘Montha’ triggered heavy to very heavy rains and strong winds across several districts, disrupting normal life.
In the Nagari constituency of Chittoor district, continuous moderate to heavy rainfall has been recorded for four days under the cyclone’s influence.
Floodwaters from the Kushasthali river have cut off road connectivity, forcing officials to halt traffic between Nagari town and rural areas such as Thiruttani and Pallipattu. Vehicular movement is being diverted through bypass routes.
Police have been deployed to prevent people from approaching riverbanks due to dangerous currents and overflowing stretches.
Irrigation, Revenue and Municipal officials have initiated preventive measures, including the release of 1,000 cusecs of water from the Krishnapuram reservoir.
In the Kakinada district, strong winds and heavy rain led to rough sea conditions at the Uppada coast. Fishermen living by the shore expressed fear as waves advanced inland, worsening coastal erosion. Police evacuated residents from Uppada, Subbampet, Mayapatnam and Suradapet villages as the sea continued to surge.
Tirupati district Collector S Venkateshwar said the district has a 75-km-long coastline with five coastal mandals expected to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall. “Control rooms have been set up, and people have been advised to remain indoors except for emergencies,” he said.
Residents were also advised to avoid grazing cattle and standing under trees, electric poles or hoardings. Pilgrims headed to Tirumala have been urged to postpone their travel plans temporarily.
According to the meteorological department, rainfall and wind intensity are expected to increase further as the cyclone moves closer to the Andhra Pradesh coast for landfall near Kakinada.
District administrations across the coastal belt said they were fully prepared to handle any emergency arising out of the cyclone, with precautionary measures in continuous execution.
Four districts of northern Tamil Nadu, including the state capital, received heavy rainfall on Monday even as cyclonic storm ‘Montha’ is currently located in the Bay of Bengal, about 480 km east of Chennai, the Regional Meteorological Centre said.
“Cyclone Montha is expected to move north-north westerly and cross the coast between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam near Kakinada district in Andhra Pradesh as a severe cyclonic storm on the evening or the night of October 28,” Director of Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) B Amudha said.
Speaking to reporters on the preparations being undertaken by the Tamil Nadu government, Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin said as the cyclone is expected to cross the coast tomorrow, it will not cause major damage in Tamil Nadu.
As the meteorological department has forecast 50 to 70mm of rain in the North Chennai and Tiruvallur areas, Udhayanidhi said he inspected the preparedness works in these areas on Monday Tamil Nadu’s Minister for Health and Family Welfare Ma Subramanian also held a review meeting on Monday at R K Convention Centre in Neelankarai.