New Delhi, Oct 29: Cyclone Montha made landfall late on Tuesday evening, crossing the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam (Puducherry) coasts between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam, south of Kakinada. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the storm weakened within a few hours after landfall, bringing heavy rainfall and strong winds across coastal districts.
According to the IMD’s 5 am update, the severe cyclonic storm Montha moved northwestwards at around 10 kmph and weakened into a cyclonic storm. At 2:30 am, its centre was located about 20 km west-northwest of Narsapur, 50 km northeast of Machilipatnam, and 90 km west-southwest of Kakinada. The system’s progress is being tracked through Doppler radars in Machilipatnam and Visakhapatnam.
Officials said the storm began losing strength as it moved inland, though heavy rain and gusty winds continued to lash the districts of West Godavari, Krishna, and East Godavari. Authorities issued flood warnings for low-lying areas and urged residents to remain alert.
“The latest observations indicate that the severe cyclonic storm Montha has crossed the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam, to the south of Kakinada,” the IMD said in a post on X, confirming that the landfall process concluded shortly after midnight.
The department added that the system is expected to move northwestwards across coastal Andhra Pradesh, maintaining its cyclonic intensity for a few more hours before weakening into a deep depression.
Casualties and Damage
One woman died in Konaseema district after being struck by a falling tree uprooted by powerful winds.
Preliminary assessments suggest that around 38,000 hectares of standing crops and 1.38 lakh hectares of horticulture crops were damaged in Andhra Pradesh.
In Odisha, Cyclone Montha triggered heavy rainfall, landslides, and widespread damage across the southern and coastal districts. Reports of damaged houses, uprooted trees, and disrupted power supply emerged from 15 districts, including Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Gajapati, Ganjam, Kandhamal, Kalahandi, and Nabarangpur.
Authorities continue to assess the extent of the damage as relief and restoration operations are underway in both Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.