Cyclone Montha highlights: Heavy rain likely in Andhra, parts of Telangana as storm weakens

In Odisha, 5000 personnel of 140 rescue NDRF, ODRF and Fire Service have been activated for disaster management in view of Cyclone Montha.

Rain lashed eight southern Odisha districts as cyclone 'Montha' in the Bay of Bengal intensified into a severe cyclonic storm on Tuesday morning. As a precautionary measure, the Odisha government has evacuated people from low-lying areas and also hilly terrain prone to landslides in the eight districts of Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Gajapati, Ganjam, Nabarangpur, Kalahandi and Kandhamal and deployed 140 rescue teams (over 5,000 personnel) of NDRF, ODRAF and Fire Service.

While 32 trains in Odisha have been cancelled, Andhra Pradesh's Gannavaram Airport announced to cancel more than 30 flights on Tuesday in view of Cyclone Montha and the subsequent heavy rains. All flight operations from Vishakhpatnam airport have also been suspended for Tuesday.

The administration in Andhra Pradesh is on high alert and a control room has been set up to deal with any untoward situation in view of Cyclone Montha, while drains and canals are kept vacant to avoid waterlogging. “To face the Cyclone Montha, NTR district administration is prepared and the central command control room is established. Everywhere, up to village-level response teams are kept on high alert. Today is the second day of Cyclone Montha,” Collector of NTR district, Dr G. Lakshmisha told ANI.

Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu said that Cyclone Montha will likely bring heavy rain to 3,778 villages as it intensified into a severe cyclonic storm on Tuesday morning.

"The impact of Montha will be severe from Tuesday morning. According to officials, 338 mandals and 3,778 villages have been forecast to receive heavy rainfall," Naidu said in an official release.

However, he asserted that there was no need to worry about the cyclone and advised everyone to stay alert.

Heavy rainfall has been pounding Chennai and other parts of Tamil Nadu over the last few days, causing waterlogging, traffic jams and disruptions in the everyday lives of the people.

With cyclonic storm 'Montha' moving towards Andhra Pradesh, in Tamil Nadu, all eyes are on Tiruvallur district, which is expected to receive heavy rainfall on Tuesday. According to Tiruvallur District Disaster Management, in the last 24 hours, till 6 am on Tuesday, Ponneri and Avadi in Tiruvallur received 72 mm and 62 mm of rainfall, respectively. Tiruvallur District Collector M Prathap declared a holiday for schools on Tuesday, anticipating heavy rains.

Thirty two trains in Odisha which are passing through Visakhapatnam have been cancelled in view of Cyclone Montha which intensified into a ‘severe cyclonic storm’ on Tuesday morning. “We have cancelled 32 trains passing through Visakhapatnam so that travellers are not affected much. We are trying our best to run the train up to 4 p.m. tomorrow; the local memos and other trains scheduled to depart around tomorrow have been cancelled. The list of cancelled trains has been uploaded to social media and our digital platforms... Regarding diversion, the Tatanagar-Ernakulam Express has been diverted, and two trains have been short-terminated, like the Bhubaneswar-Jagadalpur Express and the Rourkela-Jagdalpur Express, which is an intercity express,” Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) at East Coast Railway, Bhubaneswar, Deepak Rout told ANI.

As Cyclone Montha approaches the coastal areas several states have been put on high alert. While a red alert is issued in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Odisha, yellow alert has been sounded for parts of Karnataka, Maharashtra, Kerala, West Bengal and Gujarat.

The Met Department has issued warning for heavy rainfall in Jharkhand till October 31 under the impact of a cyclone over the Bay of Bengal. Vidarbha region will also witness moderate to heavy rains till October 30 under the influence of Cyclone Montha.

The cyclone is about 190 km south-southeast of Machilipatnam, 270 km south-southeast of Kakinada, 340 km south-southwest of Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh and 550 km south-southwest of Gopalpur in Odisha. It is likely to continue to move north-northwestwards and cross Andhra Pradesh coast between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam around Kakinada during evening/night of today, the 28th October as a severe cyclonic storm with a maximum sustained wind speed of 90-100 kmph gusting to 110 kmph.

As per the IMD website, a cyclonic disturbance with the maximum average surface wind speed is in the range of 89 to 117 kmph is categorised as ‘severe cyclonic storm’.

As the cyclonic storm Montha over westcentral Bay of Bengal moved north-northwestwards with a speed of 15 kmph during the past six hours, the IMD said it intensified into a severe cyclonic storm and lay centred at 5.30 am about 190 km south to south east of Machilipatnam. It is likely to continue to move north-northwestwards and cross the Andhra Pradesh coast between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam around Kakinada during the evening and night of Tuesday as a severe cyclonic storm with a maximum sustained wind speed of 90-100 kmph and gusting to 110 kmph.

Cyclone 'Montha' over the westcentral Bay of Bengal moved north to northwestwards with a speed of 15 kmph during the past six hours and intensified into a severe cyclonic storm by 5.30 am on Tuesday, IMD said. The weather system lay centred 190 km south to southeast of Machilipatnam, 270 km south to southeast of Kakinada and 340 km south to southeast of Vizag at 5.30 am.

Cyclone Montha has intensified into ‘severe cyclonic storm’, the IMD has said. Meanwhile rains have lashed parts of Tamil Nadu, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh as it braces for a landfall later today.

As rains lashed Tamil Nadu's Chennai city also received rainfall this morning. As per IMD, moderate rain with light thunderstorm and lightning is very likely to occur at a few places over Chengalpattu, Chennai, Kancheepuram, Kanniyakumari, Ranipet, Tenkasi, Thiruvallur, Thoothukkudi, Tirunelveli, Tirupathur, Tiruvannamalai, Vellore, Viluppuram, Virudhunagar in next 3 hours.

Several coastal districts in the State and southern Odisha received heavy rain this morning. Odisha's Ganjam district witnessed rough seas, strong winds and rainfall, while rain lashed in Andhra Pradesh's Vijayawada due to the impact of the cyclone. Tamil Nadu's Chennai city also received rainfall this morning. As per IMD, moderate rain with light thunderstorm and lightning is very likely to occur at a few places over Chengalpattu, Chennai, Kancheepuram, Kanniyakumari, Ranipet, Tenkasi, Thiruvallur, Thoothukkudi, Tirunelveli, Tirupathur, Tiruvannamalai, Vellore, Viluppuram, Virudhunagar in next 3 hours.

Fishing boats that had arrived in Odisha's Ganjam district were unable to return in view of the rough sea conditions under the influence of Cyclone Montha. "Our Ganjam district collector ordered all of them to be settled in the harbour. We have provided shelter to 30 boats in the harbour at Gopalpur Port. They will remain there as long as the cyclone continues," Inspector in-charge of Marine police station, Aryapalli, Bidyabharati Nayak, said.

The IMD has issued an alert for high-speed surface winds in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry in view of Cyclone Montha, while rainfall is lashing parts of Vijaywada and Kakinada city.

Cyclone Montha is expected to make a landfall between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam around Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh during evening/night of 28th October as a severe cyclonic storm with a maximum sustained wind speed of 90-100 kmph gusting to110 kmph.

Rough sea conditions are being reported from Odisha due to the impact of Cyclone Montha which is expected to make landfall later today.

Disaster management teams such as the NDRF and SDRF have been positioned with Fire Services, swimmers, OBM boats, life jackets and emergency equipment across coastal zones in case of emergencies. The 108/104 ambulance network and medical camps have been activated in all cyclone shelters in Andhra Pradesh.

Several parts of Andhra Pradesh are reeling under heavy rainfall as Cyclone Montha approaches. The cyclone is expected to make a landfall later in the day today. Visuals shared by ANI showed rainfall in Vijaywada and Kakinada city.

Cyclone Montha live: Around 50,000 people were moved to relief camps till Monday as evacuations a day before Cyclone Montha's landfall, Reuters reported, citing officials.

"Evacuation of people from near the coast in Kakinada district has already started," a disaster management official in Andhra Pradesh told Reuters.

Nearly 50,000 people have been moved to relief camps, a government report showed.

Chennai weather live: Tamil Nadu's Chennai was placed under an orange alert for rain due to Cyclone Montha impact, according to the district wise warning seen on the India Meteorological Department (IMD) website at 8:30 am.

Apart from Chennai, Tamil Nadu's Thiruvallur and Ranipettai were also under an orange alert.