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Cyclone Montha leaves a trail of destruction in Andhra and Odisha, 2 killed: 10 latest updates
Cyclone Montha is expected to further weaken into a deep depression as it moves northwestwards inland in Andhra Pradesh.
Cyclone Montha made landfall along the Andhra Pradesh coast near Kakinada on Tuesday, unleashing heavy rain and winds gusting up to 110 kmph across coastal districts.
While Montha has now weakened, it has left a trail of damage - from uprooted trees to flooded farmlands - in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.
Track live updates on Cyclone Montha here
Here are 10 key developments from the impact and aftermath of Cyclone Montha:
1) The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said Montha made landfall between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam around 7 pm Tuesday. The cyclone brought maximum sustained winds of 90–100 kmph, gusting up to 110 kmph, and has since weakened into a cyclonic storm.
2) Andhra Pradesh chief minister on Wednesday said that two persons died in the state due to Cyclone Montha, adding that precautionary measures minimised loss, news agency PTI reported. He called on the government machinery to continue efforts for another two days to provide people with more relief. Naidu directed authorities to restore normalcy as soon as possible.
3) The Andhra Pradesh government moved nearly 76,000 people to safety. Over 219 medical camps were set up, and 865 tonnes of animal fodder were arranged. The government also deployed 1,447 earthmovers, 321 drones, and 1,040 chainsaws to clear debris and fallen trees.
4) Ahead of the storm's landfall, authorities in Andhra imposed a vehicular curfew in seven districts - Krishna, Eluru, East and West Godavari, Kakinada, Dr BR Ambedkar Konaseema, and parts of Alluri Sitarama Raju - to ensure safety of the people in those regions.
5) Cyclone Montha led to massive transport disruptions on Tuesday and Wednesday morning. 32 flights were cancelled at Visakhapatnam Airport, 16 at Vijayawada, and four in Tirupati. The South Central Railway cancelled 120 trains across its zone, while the East Coast Railway diverted several services.
6) Officials reported that standing crops over 38,000 hectares and horticultural crops across 1.38 lakh hectares were destroyed in Andhra Pradesh. The IMD warned of further damage to paddy and vegetable fields in inundated low-lying areas.
7) Odisha also bore the brunt of Cyclone Montha, with 15 districts being hit by heavy rain and strong winds. Chief minister Mohan Charan Manjhi said over 11,000 people were moved to 2,048 cyclone shelters. Schools and anganwadi centres in nine Odisha districts have been shut till October 30.
8) Heavy rainfall triggered landslides and flooding in Odisha's Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Gajapati, and Ganjam districts. Roads were blocked by boulders and fallen trees in several areas, while one person was injured in a house collapse in Gajapati district.
9) The IMD has issued red and orange alerts for Odisha and Andhra Pradesh today. The weather department also predicts heavy rain in Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand, and West Bengal over the next few days as the weakened storm system moves inland as a deep depression.
10) As of Wednesday morning, IMD said Montha had weakened into a cyclonic storm and was centred about 20 km west-northwest of Narsapur and 90 km west-southwest of Kakinada. It is expected to further weaken into a deep depression as it moves northwestwards inland.
