Amaravati, Oct 29(HS): Heavy rain accompanied by gale-force winds lashed Vijayawada on Wednesday morning as Severe Cyclonic Storm Montha crossed the Andhra Pradesh coast near Narasapur in West Godavari district, south of Kakinada, late Tuesday night, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

Several trees were uprooted and roads inundated in many parts of the city.

According to IMD’s 5 a.m. bulletin, Montha moved northwestwards at 10 kmph, weakening into a cyclonic storm after landfall between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam around midnight (11:30 p.m. – 12:30 a.m.). The landfall process lasted nearly five hours, completing by 12:30 a.m. Wednesday.

By 2:30 a.m., the system lay centred 20 km west-northwest of Narasapur, and is expected to weaken into a deep depression within the next 12 hours.

The IMD has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall at several places across Andhra Pradesh and Yanam till October 29, and light to moderate rain with isolated heavy spells over north coastal Andhra Pradesh on October 30.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar