Cyclone ‘Montha’ gathers strength over Bay of Bengal, landfall on October 28; Odisha on alert

Cyclone Montha, by the early hours of Monday, has intensified over the Bay of Bengal and is steadily moving closer to the Andhra Pradesh coast, with the system expected to make landfall near Kakinada on October 28.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the cyclone formed late Sunday night over the central Bay of Bengal and is currently centered about 850 km southeast of Gopalpur in Odisha and 680 km southeast of Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh, moving west-northwestwards at around 16 km per hour.

Cyclone To Intensify Further Before Landfall

The weather department has warned that the system will intensify into a severe cyclonic storm, with landfall likely to begin by Tuesday evening and complete by late night between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam, close to Kakinada.

During the landfall process, the cyclone is expected to bring maximum sustained wind speeds of 90 to 100 kmph, with gusts up to 110 kmph, added the forecast.

Visuals from Kakinada showed the early effects of the approaching cyclone, with rough sea conditions, swelling waves, and intermittent rain already reported by Sunday evening. The IMD said that the wind speed is likely to intensify from Monday, warning of extremely rough sea conditions across north coastal Andhra Pradesh and adjoining south coastal Odisha.

Heavy Rain Likely Over Coastal Odisha And Andhra

As per IMD’s latest forecast, moderate to heavy rainfall is expected over several districts of south Odisha from late Monday night, extending to north coastal Andhra Pradesh. Localised flooding and waterlogging are likely in low-lying and urban areas due to continuous heavy downpour and storm surge during the landfall phase.

Rainfall intensity will gradually increase over interior Odisha districts by Tuesday as the system weakens over land.

ALSO READ: Odisha’s Laxmipur bears the brunt as Cyclone ‘Montha’ unleashes heavy rain, wind gusts

Administration On High Alert

District administrations across Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, and Koraput have been instructed to activate control rooms, ensure pre-positioning of rescue teams, and stock emergency relief materials. The Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and local fire service units have been placed on standby for immediate deployment in affected areas.

Authorities have also readied temporary shelters and cyclone centres, ensuring the availability of food, drinking water, and medical aid. Continuous coordination with the IMD, Indian Coast Guard, and East Coast Railway (ECoR) is being maintained to ensure real-time updates and effective response planning.