Cyclone Montha brings rain and gales to coastal Andhra; authorities on high alert

Cyclone 'Montha', which is expected to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm, has begun, Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA) managing director Prakhar Jain said late on Monday (October 27). Many coastal districts are experiencing rain and strong gales.

"Cyclone has begun. Coastal districts are witnessing rainfall accompanied by gales," Jain said in a release, adding that the system would intensify further as it approached land.

Cyclone Montha is expected to bring heavy rainfall to Odisha, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh.

Cyclone Montha to intensify

NTR district Collector G Lakshmisha said that all departments were on high alert. "Several teams have been deployed and are working in coordination. We have kept 180 rehabilitation centres ready, along with 24 drones for continuous weather monitoring," he said.

Vijayawada Police Commissioner S V Rajasekhar Babu said the police department was fully geared up for the cyclone, with officers deployed across each ward secretariat. "A control room is monitoring the situation, and 42 drones have been deployed for real-time assessment," he said, adding that residents of 360 houses were being evacuated as a precaution.

In the Nagari constituency of Chittoor district, continuous moderate to heavy rainfall has been recorded for four days under the cyclone's influence.

Floodwaters from the Kushasthali river have cut off road connectivity, forcing officials to halt traffic between Nagari town and rural areas such as Thiruttani and Pallipattu. Vehicular movement is being diverted through bypass routes.

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Police have been deployed to prevent people from approaching riverbanks due to dangerous currents and overflowing stretches.

Irrigation, Revenue and Municipal officials have initiated preventive measures, including the release of 1,000 cusecs of water from the Krishnapuram reservoir.

In the Kakinada district, strong winds and heavy rain led to rough sea conditions at the Uppada coast. Fishermen living by the shore expressed fear as waves advanced inland, worsening coastal erosion. Police evacuated residents from Uppada, Subbampet, Mayapatnam and Suradapet villages as the sea continued to surge.

Tirupati district Collector S Venkateshwar said the district has a 75-km-long coastline with five coastal mandals expected to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall. "Control rooms have been set up, and people have been advised to remain indoors except for emergencies," he said.

Residents were also advised to avoid grazing cattle and standing under trees, electric poles or hoardings. Pilgrims headed to Tirumala have been urged to postpone their travel plans temporarily.

According to the meteorological department, rainfall and wind intensity are expected to increase further as the cyclone moves closer to the Andhra Pradesh coast for landfall near Kakinada.

TN also on high alert

Four districts of northern Tamil Nadu, including the state capital Chennai, received heavy rainfall. Meanwhile, speaking to reporters on the preparations being undertaken by the Tamil Nadu government, Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin said as the cyclone is expected to cross the coast tomorrow, it will not cause major damage in Tamil Nadu.

“The meteorological department has informed us that there will not be very heavy rain for the next 10 days. But even if it rains heavily, our government is prepared to face it,” said Udhayanidhi.

(With Agency inputs)