Cyclone Montha: Landfall process begins off Andhra coast, nearly 76,000 people shifted to relief camps | Top updates

Cyclone Montha: The weather system is likely to cross Andhra Pradesh coast between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam around Kakinada in the next few hours.

Cyclone Montha: The landfall process of Severe Cyclonic Storm Montha began on Tuesday evening at around 7.30pm near the coast of Andhra Pradesh and is expected to continue for 3 to 4 hours, according India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Puri, Oct 28 (ANI): Lifeguards prevent tourists near the sea as a precautionary measure in the wake of Cyclone Montha, in Puri on Tuesday. (ANI Video Grab) (ANI Video Grab)

The weather system is likely to cross Andhra Pradesh coast between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam around Kakinada in the next three to four hours as a severe cyclonic storm with a maximum sustained wind speed of 90 to 100 kmph and gusting up to 110 kmph. Follow LIVE updates.

Cyclone Montha, a Thai name from a fragrant flower, intensified into a Severe Cyclonic Storm on Tuesday morning as it moved towards the Andhra Pradesh coast, bringing heavy rain to parts of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Tamil Nadu.

In anticipation of the landfall, 25 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have been deployed across Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh and Puducherry.

Here's the latest on Cyclonic Storm Montha:

• Under the influence of the cyclone, Machilipatnam recorded 5.2 mm of rainfall since 8:30 am, followed by Narasapur (9.8 mm), Tuni (15.6 mm), Kakinada (5.7 mm) and Visakhapatnam (0.2 mm).
• Continuous rain also lashed Nellore district for the past 36 hours, with an average of five cm recorded in the last 24 hours and some pockets receiving up to seven cm, an official told PTI.

• The office of Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu said that standing crops spread over 38,000 hectares and horticulture crops in 1.38 lakh hectares were destroyed in Andhra Pradesh due to the influence of the severe cyclonic storm.
• Nearly 76,000 people were shifted to relief camps while the government arranged 219 medical camps at various places.
• The Andhra Pradesh government has decided to suspend vehicular movement in seven cyclone-affected districts from 8.30 pm to 6 am on Wednesday.
• These include Krishna, Eluru, East Godavari, West Godavari, Kakinada, and Dr B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema districts, as well as the revenue divisions of Chinturu and Rampachodavaram in the Alluri Sitarama Raju district.
• The severe cyclonic storm also brought heavy rain in coastal and southern Odisha districts, causing landslides and damaging houses besides uprooting trees, according to PTI.
• Preliminary reports of damages were received from eight southern Odisha districts of Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Gajapati, Ganjam, Kandhamal, Kalahandi and Nabarangpur.
• Earlier in the day, Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi said his government was well prepared to face the challenges posed by cyclone 'Montha' and has opened over 2,000 disaster relief centres in eight southern districts for people likely to be impacted by the severe cyclonic storm.
• Meanwhile, at least 120 trains were cancelled while a few others were regulated, rescheduled, or diverted in the wake of the weather conditions.
• “Due to the cyclonic conditions prevailing along the coastal areas, Indian Railways has so far cancelled 122 trains, while a few others have been regulated, rescheduled, or diverted. In total, around 160 trains have been affected," South Central Railway CPRO A. Sridhar told PTI. “Most of these trains operate between the Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada sections, which are likely to experience the impact of the cyclone.”
• At least 35 flights between Shamshabad in Telangana and Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, and Rajahmundry airports in Andhra Pradesh have also been cancelled. Operations at Vishakhapatnam airport have also been shut.