AP on red alert: According to the latest weather report, Cyclone Montha intensified into a severe cyclonic storm and was situated about 160 km southeast of Machilipatnam, 240 km southeast of Kakinada, and 320 km southeast of Visakhapatnam (Vizag).
The severe cyclonic system is advancing at a speed of 12 km per hour. The IMD officials project that the cyclone will make landfall along the Andhra Pradesh coast most likely between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam near Kakinada by Tuesday evening or night.
During the landfall, the coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh, the northern parts of Tamil Nadu (especially Chennai), isolated parts of Telangana, and the southern parts of Odisha will experience heavy to very heavy rainfall.
AP coastal districts such as Nellore, Bapatla, Guntur, NTR, Krishna, Eluru, West Godavari, Dr BR Ambedkar Konaseema, East Godavari, Anakapalli, Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, Alluri Sitharama Raju, and Srikakulam, will witness strong gales of 90-110 kmph during the landfall.
Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) and Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (AP SDMA) have put the coastal districts on red alert, anticipating very heavy rainfall due to the proximity of the Montha severe cyclonic storm.
Naidu holds review meeting on preparedness, PM Modi assures support
Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu has already held a review meeting on the preparedness and directed officials to ensure the swift flow of information to people for their safety.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called Naidu and enquired about the ground situation. He assured Centre’s support to Andhra Pradesh. The Chief Minister assigned the Centre-State coordination responsibility to HRD, IT and RTGS Minister Nara Lokesh. Minister Lokesh is coordinating the relief efforts from the Real-Time Governance Society at the State Secretariat.
According to reports, authorities have evacuated approximately 50,000 people to relief camps across Andhra Pradesh and Odisha as a precautionary measure against the approaching cyclone. The district administrations of the coastal regions declared holidays to schools and colleges following the IMD and AP SDMA’s red alert.
Authorities evacuated nearly 10,000 residents from the Kakinada and Konaseema region. The Montha severe cyclone is likely to pound these two Godavari districts. They also relocated 126 pregnant women to hospitals for safety.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Y Satya Kumar Yadav announced that officials shifted 787 pregnant women—expected to deliver within the coming week—to nearby hospitals across 17 cyclone-affected districts to ensure timely medical care and safe deliveries. This proactive measure aims to ensure safe deliveries and timely access to medical care, he added.
Over 90 trains and all flights from Vijayawada have been cancelled amid IMD red alert
The ongoing weather conditions have disrupted transportation, leading to the cancellation of more than 90 trains across the East Coast Railway and South Central Railway zones. The airport officials also cancelled all flight services from Vijayawada.
Amid the IMD red alert, Indian naval personnel at the Eastern Naval Command in Visakhapatnam are on high alert. They have ensured that the necessary equipment, including helicopters and cargo planes, is on standby. The ENC top brass also deployed deep divers and rescue teams for relief operations. 09 NDRF teams have been pre-positioned in cyclone-prone districts of Andhra Pradesh as a precautionary measure.
On the other hand, the IMD warned of possible power outages, tree uprooting, and communication breakdowns in the landfall regions. The IMD urged the fishermen to avoid sea operations until further notice. This situation is rapidly evolving, and authorities continue monitoring and issuing updates for public safety as Cyclone Montha approaches landfall.
The Tamil Nadu government also put Chennai on high alert. Chennai will witness heavy to very heavy rainfall on Tuesday and Wednesday due to Montha severe cyclone effect. The IMD also issued an advisory.
