Amaravati, October 28 (HS): Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Monday night warned that the impact of Cyclone Montha will be severe from Tuesday morning, with 3,778 villages across 338 mandals expected to receive heavy rainfall.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Cyclone Montha intensified into a severe cyclonic storm around 5:30 a.m. on Tuesday. The cyclone’s name, Montha, means a fragrant flower in the Thai language.
“The impact of Montha will be severe from Tuesday morning. However, there is no need to panic. Everyone should remain alert,” Naidu said in an official release.
During a high-level review meeting, the Chief Minister directed officials to ensure real-time alerts to citizens. As part of the preparedness, voice messages and public address systems were deployed across 26 districts.
The state government has established 3,174 rehabilitation centres across 22 districts, managed by 3,778 village and ward secretaries. These centres are stocked with essential commodities, food, and emergency supplies.
Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA) Managing Director Prakhar Jain said that heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected from Srikakulam to Nellore.“People should not venture out under any circumstances. If necessary, they should contact control rooms,” he said. Jain noted that Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli, Nellore, Konaseema, and Kakinada districts were already experiencing heavy rainfall.
In Visakhapatnam, Kapuluppada recorded 125 mm, Visakhapatnam Rural 120 mm, and Anandapuram 117 mm of rainfall, with 95 locations reporting heavy to very heavy rainfall.
Between 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. on Monday, the IMD reported rainfall of 52 mm in Visakhapatnam, 21 mm in Kakinada, 18 mm in Narasapur, 15 mm in Arogyavaram, 12 mm each in Tuni and Machilipatnam, and 11 mm in Nellore.
Meanwhile, the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) issued warnings of high sea waves up to 4.7 metres, advising caution in several coastal districts. It also issued an ocean current alert for East Godavari and Nellore, forecasting current speeds of 0.8 to 1.2 m/s between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. on October 28.
INCOIS warned that sea conditions along the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts are likely to be rough to very rough, worsening to very high by Tuesday evening.
Danger signals were raised at several ports — DS-VII at Kakinada, DS-VI at Visakhapatnam and Gangavaram, and DS-V at Machilipatnam, Nizampatnam, and Krishnapatnam.
A storm surge of up to one metre above the astronomical tide is also expected, potentially causing inundation in low-lying areas of coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam during landfall.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
