Cyclone Montha Landfall Begins: 2 Killed In Kerala; Andhra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu Brace For Impact

Last Updated:October 27, 2025, 19:13 IST

The IMD has predicted isolated extremely heavy rainfall over Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Puducherry, and Chhattisgarh.

A red alert has been issued for Kakinada, Konaseema, West Godavari, Krishna, Bapatla, Prakasam, and Nellore districts. (File)

Cyclone Montha: The landfall of Cyclone Montha, which is likely to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm, has begun along the coast of Andhra Pradesh, the State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA) said on Monday.

“Cyclone has begun. Coastal districts are witnessing rainfall accompanied by gales," APSDMA Managing Director Prakhar Jain told news agency PTI.

Formed from a deep depression over the southeast Bay of Bengal, Montha intensified into a cyclonic storm around midnight of Sunday. As of 11:30 am on Monday, it was centered over the southwest and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal — about 480 km east of Chennai, 530 km south-southeast of Kakinada, and 560 km south-southeast of Visakhapatnam.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the system, which moved at a speed of 18 km per hour in the past six hours, is likely to move further north-northwestwards and intensify into a severe cyclonic storm by the morning of October 28.

“The cyclone is likely to cross the Andhra Pradesh coast near Kakinada during the evening or night of October 28 as a severe cyclonic storm," Jain said. If it does, Montha will be the first cyclone this year to hit the Indian mainland. Earlier this month, Cyclone Shakthi had formed over the Arabian Sea off the Gujarat coast but veered away without making landfall.

IMD Issues Heavy Rain Alert For These States

As the cyclonic storm intensified, Andhra Pradesh has been put on alert, while Odisha, Telangana, and Tamil Nadu are also bracing for strong winds and rainfall.

The weather agency has predicted isolated extremely heavy rainfall over Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Puducherry, and Chhattisgarh.

The Odisha government has begun evacuating people from coastal areas to safer locations. 128 rescue teams have been deployed in eight districts: Malkangiri, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Rayagada, Gajapati, Ganjam, Kalahandi, and Kandhamal.

The IMD has issued an orange alert for Karnataka’s Uttara Kannada, Dakshina Kannada, and Udupi districts, forecasting heavy to very heavy rain with winds up to 40 kmph. Heavy rain or thundershowers are also likely in Bagalkot, Koppal, Raichur, Belagavi, Gadag, Kolar, Chikkaballapura, Kodagu, and Mysuru districts, while light to moderate rain is expected across several others, including Bengaluru, Shivamogga, Hassan, and Tumakuru.

2 Killed In Kerala

Heavy rains and strong winds in Kerala inundated low-lying areas, killing two people. The IMD has issued an orange alert in five districts. A fisherman’s boat capsized in Alappuzha, and another person died in Ernakulam due to lightning.

Several Train Services Cancelled

In view of the storm, East Coast Railway and South Central Railway cancelled several train services as a safety precaution.

Cancellations include major routes such as Visakhapatnam–Kirandul, Visakhapatnam–Koraput, Visakhapatnam–Tirupati, and Visakhapatnam–Chennai, among others, from October 27 to 30.

PM Modi Speaks to Chandrababu Naidu, Assures Support

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and reviewed the state’s preparedness as the cyclonic storm moved closer to the coast.

Naidu said in a post on X that the Prime Minister had assured all possible assistance. “The Honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi called and discussed the current situation in the state due to the cyclone’s impact. He assured us of providing assistance and support to the state. I urge all citizens to follow government instructions and take necessary precautions," he said.

The Chief Minister reviewed the evolving situation from the Real-Time Governance Centre (RTGS) at the Secretariat and directed officials to monitor the cyclone’s movement closely and adopt zero-risk measures, especially in coastal and low-lying areas.

Andhra Pradesh Prepares For Cyclone Montha

All district administrations and municipal bodies have been instructed to keep control rooms operational round the clock and to issue alerts through RTGS, the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA) and local networks.

Officials said vulnerable populations, including pregnant women, the elderly, and coastal residents, have been moved to safer locations. Relief centres have been set up across affected districts, with food, milk, and water stocked for several days. Over 14,000 schools have been declared closed as a precaution.

A red alert has been issued for Kakinada, Konaseema, West Godavari, Krishna, Bapatla, Prakasam, and Nellore districts. Eleven NDRF and twelve SDRF teams have been deployed for rescue and relief operations.

(With inputs from agencies)

Shobhit Gupta

Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben...Read More

Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben...

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