Montha to intensify into severe cyclone by Oct 28; Odisha begins evacuation

Cyclonic storm Montha is likely to intensify into a severe cyclonic by October 28 morning, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Monday (October 27).

The weather system over the southwest and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal moved northwestwards with a speed of 15 km per hour (kmph) during the past six hours and lay centred over southwest and adjoining areas of westcentral and southeast Bay of Bengal at 5.30 am on Monday.

“It is likely to continue to move northwestwards over southwest and adjoining westcentral Bay of Bengal during the next 12 hours and then north-northwestwards and intensify into a severe cyclonic storm by October 28 morning,” said an official release from the Met Department.

Maximum wind speed of 110 kmph

According to the Met Department, Montha lay over latitude 12.2 degrees north and 85.3 degrees east at 5.30 am today, about 620 km south to southeast of Kakinada, 650 km south to southeast of Vizag, 560 km east to southeast of Chennai, 790 km south of Gopalpur (Odisha) and 810 km west of Port Blair (Andaman & Nicobar Islands).

Also read: Cyclone Montha: Andhra braces for landfall, prepares action plan; Odisha on alert

Later, the weather system is expected to move further north-northwestwards to cross Andhra Pradesh coast between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam around Kakinada during the evening and night of October 28 as a severe cyclonic storm with a maximum sustained wind speed of up to 110 kmph.

Meanwhile, the Met Department forecast light thunderstorms accompanied by gusty winds with up to a speed of 40 kmph and moderate rainfall at a few places over Anakapalli, Kakinada, Konaseema, Srikakulam, Nellore, Tirupathi, Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and West Godavari districts in the next three hours.

Andhra’s action plan

Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA) managing director Prakhar Jain advised people to stay indoors. He said heavy to very heavy rains are likely today in Kakinada, Konaseema, West Godavari, Krishna, Bapatla, Prakasam and Nellore districts.

Likewise, he said heavy rains are likely in Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Parvatipuram Manyam, Alluri Sitaramaraju, Visakhapatnam and Anakapalli districts. Jain said similar weather is expected in East Godavari, Eluru, NTR, Guntur, Palnadu, Chittoor and Tirupati districts.

The Andhra Pradesh government has prepared an action plan for relief and essential supplies in pre-cyclone preparedness for Cyclone Montha.

State Civil Supplies Minister N Manohar said the action plan covers stock positioning of Public Distribution System commodities, fuel inventory management, paddy procurement steps, food supply to relief shelters and post-cyclone relief distribution.

Odisha starts evacuating people

In neighbouring Odisha, the state government has already started evacuating people from vulnerable places and deployed 128 disaster response teams in eight southern districts of the state.

The state government has started the evacuation of people from vulnerable hilly and low-lying areas of eight southern districts, which could be impacted due to the impending calamity, Odisha Revenue and Disaster Management minister Suresh Pujari said on Monday (October 27).

Also read: Cyclone Montha: All 30 Odisha districts on alert; south Bengal braces for rain too

“The state government is well prepared to face the eventuality, and arrangements have been made in the possible impact areas. The administration will complete the process of evacuation of people from vulnerable places by 5 pm on Monday,” the minister said.

Though Cyclone Montha will cross the Andhra Pradesh coast, it will have an impact on Odisha’s southern and coastal regions, for which the state government has made all arrangements to save men and animals with a goal of “zero casualty”, Pujari said.

5,000 disaster relief personnel deployed

The minister said a red alert (take action), predicting extremely heavy rainfall and strong winds (gusting up to 80 kmph), was issued for Malkangiri, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Rayagada, Gajapati, Ganjam, Kandhamal and Kalahandi districts.

As a precautionary measure, the state government has deployed over 5,000 highly skilled personnel in 24 teams of Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), five from NDRF and 99 Fire Service teams in these eight districts, the minister said, adding all the districts of the state have been directed to get ready with men and machinery for rescue operations, if at all the impending cyclone changes its trajectory.

The minister said that though rainfall will begin on Monday, the intensity of rain and wind will intensify on October 28 and 29. The weather office also hoisted Distant Cautionary Signal No-I (DC-1) at all ports of Odisha and advised fishermen not to venture into the sea till October 29.

(With agency inputs)