Cyclone Montha set to hit Andhra coast on October 28, Udhayanidhi Stalin says Chennai safe. Top 10 developments here

A deep depression over the Bay of Bengal has turned into Cyclone Montha. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the system is likely to become a severe cyclonic storm by the morning of October 28, as reported by PTI. 

The cyclone is moving northwest and is expected to cross the Andhra Pradesh coast between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam, around Kakinada. It is likely to bring heavy rain and strong winds to several southern and eastern states.

The IMD has issued red warnings for many districts, predicting very heavy rainfall and strong winds up to 80 kmph in Odisha. In Andhra Pradesh, Kakinada, Konaseema, West Godavari, Krishna, Bapatla, Prakasam, and Nellore districts are under similar alerts from October 27 to 29.

Light thunderstorms with winds up to 40 kmph are expected in Anakapalli, Kakinada, Konaseema, Srikakulam, Nellore, Tirupati, Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, and West Godavari in the next few hours.

The IMD has warned fishermen not to go to sea till October 29 as sea conditions are likely to remain rough to very rough over the Bay of Bengal, especially near Odisha and Andhra coasts.

Cyclone Montha: Top 10 developments so far

1. IMD said Cyclone Montha will strengthen into a severe storm by October 28 morning and cross the Andhra Pradesh coast between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam, near Kakinada, by the evening or night of October 28.

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2. At landfall, wind speed may reach 90–100 kmph with gusts up to 110 kmph, along with very heavy rainfall in coastal districts. At 5:30 am Monday, Montha was located over the southwest and adjoining westcentral and southeast Bay of Bengal, moving northwest at 15 kmph. It was about 620 km south-southeast of Kakinada, 650 km south-southeast of Visakhapatnam, 560 km east-southeast of Chennai, 790 km south of Gopalpur (Odisha), and 810 km west of Port Blair.

3. The Odisha government has started moving people from hilly and low-lying areas in eight southern districts — Malkangiri, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Rayagada, Gajapati, Ganjam, Kandhamal, and Kalahandi.

4. Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said the state’s goal is “zero casualty.” The evacuation is expected to finish by 5 pm on Monday.

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5. Odisha and Andhra Pradesh have opened control rooms and emergency helplines to track the cyclone. Odisha has sent over 5,000 personnel, including 24 ODRAF teams, 5 NDRF teams, and 99 Fire Service units, to the most vulnerable districts.

6. All district offices in Odisha have been told to stay ready with rescue tools, medical support, and emergency shelters. Relief camps have also been stocked with food, water, medicines, and other supplies, while power and telecom teams are ready for restoration after the storm.

7. Ahead of Cyclone Montha's landfall, the Andhra Pradesh government has set up control rooms and helplines across the state. 

8. Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin said that the cyclone is not expected to cause a major impact in the southern state as it continues to move towards Andhra though 5-7 cm rain is likely in North Chennai and Tiruvallur. 

9. He said that CM Stalin has instructed officials to expedite precautionary works, with 331 km of canals desilted, 18 canals and 13 ponds cleaned and 3.5 lakh tonnes of waste removed. 

10. The name “Montha” was given by Thailand under the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) panel on cyclone naming. In Thai, “Montha” means a fragrant or beautiful flower.