Cyclone Montha is intensifying in the Bay of Bengal and is set to make landfall near Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh by Tuesday night, prompting evacuations and alerts across coastal areas of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Tamil Nadu. Officials have moved thousands to relief camps and cancelled trains amid expectations of winds up to 110 kmph. Preparations include stocked shelters and warnings for fishermen to stay off the sea.
Cyclone Montha, moving west-northwestwards at 18 kmph, was located 570 km southeast of Kakinada, 600 km southeast of Visakhapatnam, and 520 km east-southeast of Chennai as of Monday. The India Meteorological Department and Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority forecast the severe cyclonic storm will cross the Andhra Pradesh coast near Kakinada with wind speeds of 90-110 kmph by Tuesday night.
Coastal regions in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Tamil Nadu experienced light to heavy rain and high winds on Monday. Administrations evacuated residents from vulnerable villages to makeshift camps stocked with rations for 2-3 days. In Kakinada, the epicenter of the expected impact, 260 relief centers were opened, while Nellore set up 140. Beaches were closed, and fishermen received strict orders not to venture into the sea. Andhra Pradesh Municipal Administration Minister P Narayana, overseeing Kakinada operations, conducted a review meeting at the district collectorate.
Odisha placed eight districts—Malakangiri, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Rayagada, Gajapati, Ganjam, Kalahandi, and Kandhamal—on high alert, planning to shift 32,000 people to 1,500 shelters. Schools and Anganwadi centers in these areas will remain closed until October 30. The East Coast Railway cancelled 32 trains and diverted three passing through affected zones. Special Relief Commissioner D K Singh noted coordination with the Coast Guard for potential helicopter evacuations.
In Tamil Nadu, Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin stated the cyclone is unlikely to cause major damage but affirmed readiness for heavy rain. "The meteorological department has informed us that there will not be very heavy rain for the next 10 days. But even if it rains heavily, our government is prepared," he said.