Cyclone Montha nears Andhra coast, set to make landfall tonight | Updates

Cyclone Montha is set to hit Andhra Pradesh's Kakinada coast this evening, bringing heavy rain and strong winds up to 110 kmph; IMD has issued red alerts in several districts of the state

Cyclone Montha turned into a severe cyclonic storm over the Bay of Bengal on Monday. Andhra Pradesh and Odisha have been put on high alert, with officials moving people to safety ahead of its expected landfall near Kakinada coast tonight. The storm, with winds reaching up to 110 kmph, has already brought heavy rain and strong gusts along the coastal areas. 

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said that Cyclone Montha has moved north-northwest at a speed of 17 kmph in the past six hours. By 2.30 am on Tuesday, it was centred about 310 km south-southeast of Kakinada, 230 km south-southeast of Machilipatnam, 370 km south of Visakhapatnam and 570 km south-southwest of Gopalpur in Odisha. 

 

The name Montha means “a fragrant flower” in the Thai language.   

(A) Severe Cyclonic Storm “Montha” [Pronunciation: Mon-Tha] over Westcentral Bay of Bengal  The Cyclonic Storm “Montha” [Pronunciation: Mon-Tha] over westcentral Bay of Bengal moved north-northwestwards with a speed of 15 kmph during past 6 hours, intensified into a severe… pic.twitter.com/jnvQPjMYgb

— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) October 28, 2025

  Expected landfall and wind speed

The IMD said the cyclone is likely to continue moving north-northwestwards and make landfall along the Andhra Pradesh coast between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam, around Kakinada, during the evening or night of October 28. The storm is expected to bring maximum sustained wind speeds of 90-100 kmph, gusting up to 110 kmph.

 

Cyclone Montha: Heavy rainfall warnings issued

The IMD has forecast extremely heavy rainfall in isolated places across several coastal districts and issued a “red alert” for 19 districts in Andhra Pradesh.

  An “orange alert” has been issued for Nandyal, Kadapa and Annamayya districts, where heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely in isolated areas. Similarly, a “yellow alert” has been issued for Kurnool, Anantapur, Sri Sathya Sai and Chittoor districts.

  A red alert indicates rainfall of over 20 cm in 24 hours, orange denotes 11-20 cm, and yellow denotes 6-11 cm of rain. 

The department also predicted light thunderstorms with lightning and gusty winds up to 40 kmph over Annamayya, Kadapa and Nandyal in the next few hours. 

 

VIDEO | Visakhapatnam: Heavy rain and gusty winds lash the city as Cyclone Montha approaches the Andhra Pradesh coast.#CycloneMontha #Visakhapatnam #AndhraPradesh  (Full video available on PTI Videos – https://t.co/n147TvqRQz) pic.twitter.com/TYwXD2KN31

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) October 28, 2025

   Cyclone Montha: Flights cancelled as weather worsens

Due to bad weather, nine flights between Chennai and various destinations in Andhra Pradesh, including Visakhapatnam, were cancelled on Tuesday morning.

 

Rain lashes Andhra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu

As Cyclone Montha edges closer to the coast, several parts of Andhra Pradesh and southern Odisha experienced heavy rainfall on Tuesday morning. Ganjam district in Odisha reported rough seas and strong winds, while heavy rain hit Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh. 

Chennai and other parts of Tamil Nadu, including Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Tirunelveli and Virudhunagar, also received rain. The IMD predicted moderate rain with light thunderstorms in several districts in the next few hours.

 

IMD, police issue safety updates

IMD Hyderabad official GNRS Srinivasa Rao told news agency ANI, “It is expected to cross the coast of Andhra Pradesh by Tuesday evening or night between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam around the Kakinada area. Most districts in Andhra Pradesh will experience extremely heavy rainfall and gusty winds.” 

Marine Police Inspector Bidyabharati Nayak from Aryapalli in Odisha said, “Fishing boats that had come from Andhra Pradesh were unable to return due to the cyclone. We have provided shelter to 30 boats in the harbour at Gopalpur Port. They will remain there as long as the cyclone continues.”     

 

CM orders evacuation and relief measures

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has instructed officials to take immediate steps to protect lives and minimise damage. During a teleconference from the RTGS Centre, Naidu directed district collectors and police superintendents to “shift residents of vulnerable coastal areas to rehabilitation centres without any delay”. 

He also emphasised ensuring safe drinking water and quality food at these centres and ordered the appointment of special officers to oversee relief work. “Precautions must be taken to prevent the pollution of drinking water,” Naidu said. 

District collectors have been told to monitor breaches in tanks and irrigation channels and take full responsibility for cyclone relief operations. Nellore Collector Himanshu Shukla said precautionary measures are already in place.

 

Cyclone Montha: Emergency teams deployed

According to the state government, as many as 11 NDRF and 12 SDRF teams have been deployed with fire services, swimmers, OBM boats, life jackets and medical equipment. Ambulance networks and medical camps are active in all cyclone shelters. 

Funds have been released for rescue, evacuation, and relief operations under the TR-27 provision, with additional funds available for severely affected districts.

 

Cyclone Montha: Schools closed till October 31

In view of the cyclone, the Andhra Pradesh government has declared a holiday for all educational institutions, including schools and colleges, in 12 districts till October 31. These include Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli, Kakinada, West Godavari, Eluru, Krishna, NTR, Guntur, Bapatla, Palnadu and YSR Kadapa.

 

Cyclone to impact Vidarbha region next

Under the influence of Cyclone Montha, Maharashtra’s Vidarbha region is expected to receive moderate to heavy rain between October 28 and October 30. The IMD has issued a “yellow alert” for Chandrapur, Gadchiroli, Wardha, Washim, Yavatmal, Bhandara, Gondia and Nagpur, forecasting thunderstorms with lightning and gusty winds reaching 40-50 kmph.

 

[With agency inputs]