Cyclone Montha set to hit Andhra Pradesh coast near Kakinada tonight; Odisha, Tamil Nadu brace for heavy rain

KAKINADA (ANDHRA PRADESH): Cyclonic storm Montha in Bay of Bengal was on Monday headed towards Andhra Pradesh, where it’s expected to cross the coast between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam after making a landfall near Kakinada around midnight on Tuesday before moving towards southern Odisha.The season’s first major storm, currently centred over west-central Bay of Bengal and moving northnorthwestward, is expected to intensify into a “severe cyclonic storm” before making landfall with wind speeds of 90-100 kilometres per hour and gusts up to 110 kmph.Andhra Pradesh govt has put the districts of Kakinada, Konaseema, West Godavari, Eluru and East Godavari on high alert. CM N Chandrababu Naidu has asked officials to prevent any cyclone-related deaths.Civil supplies minister Nadendla Manhor, the incharge minister for Eluru, who held a review meeting at Kakinada collectorate on Monday, said 269 rehabilitation centres have been set up with all facilities, while 30 NDRF and 50 SDRF teams have been pressed into service. Earthmovers, tractors and generators with enough fuel stocks have been kept ready.“Nearly 140 pregnant women from nearby villages have been shifted to hospitals.

Essential goods and medicines have been kept ready, and holidays have been declared for all educational institutions till Wednesday. All fishing boats have been recalled from the sea,” he said.Odisha, TN to get rainWhile Andhra Pradesh will bear the brunt of the storm, with red and orange alerts issued for 23 districts, the south-coastal districts of neighbouring Odisha are likely to witness heavy rainfall and strong winds. The northern districts of Tamil Nadu, including Chennai, are expected to receive heavy rains.Meanwhile, in Odisha, the state govt on Monday evacuated 3,000 people from vulnerable areas as the storm triggered rain across Bhubaneswar and southern parts of the state.Among those evacuated are 1,496 women in advanced stages of pregnancy, who have been shifted to hospitals.As many as 140 teams from NDRF, ODRAF and fire services personnel have been deployed, while schools and anganwadi centres have been shut in eight red zone districts till Thursday. Authorities are closely monitoring Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput and Malkangiri districts for possible landslides.