Cyclone ‘Montha’ to turn towards southern Odisha after landfall, 60 to 70 kmph winds likely: IMD DG

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) Director General, Dr Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, confirmed that Cyclone Montha is set to make landfall near Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh tonight, before moving inland toward southern Odisha.

The system, currently a severe cyclonic storm over the west-central Bay of Bengal, will continue to travel north-northwestwards, affecting eight districts in Odisha with heavy rain and strong winds.

Cyclone Montha To Affect Southern Odisha

“The system is likely to move north-northwestwards with a wind speed of 90–100 kmph and cross near the Kakinada coast in Andhra Pradesh. The IMD’s previous forecast remains unchanged,” said Dr Mohapatra, while briefing on the cyclone’s path and impact zones on Monday.

He further stated that after crossing the coast, Cyclone Montha will continue its trajectory toward Odisha’s Koraput, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, and Rayagada districts before weakening and entering Chhattisgarh.

“In Odisha, the maximum wind speed is expected to be between 60 and 70 kmph, gusting up to 80 kmph. The sea will remain rough, and the winds may start blowing from the evening of October 28 and continue until October 29,” he added.

Dr Mohapatra stated that Gajapati, Ganjam, Koraput, Malkangiri, Rayagada, Nabarangpur, Kalahandi, and Nuapada will bear the brunt of the cyclone’s impact.

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Preparedness Heightened Across Odisha

In line with the IMD’s warning, the Odisha government has deployed multiple disaster response teams in vulnerable districts.

In Malkangiri, three ODRAF teams, one NDRF unit, and eight Fire Services squads are on alert. Koraput has three ODRAF, one NDRF, and 14 Fire Services teams, while Nabarangpur and Rayagada have ten and eleven teams, respectively.

Similarly, Gajapati has seven teams, Ganjam 24, Kandhamal 12, and Kalahandi 13 Fire Services units. Two NDRF teams have already reached Koraput and Malkangiri, with additional units deployed in Rayagada, Gajapati, and Kandhamal.