Cyclone 'Montha' headed towards Andhra coast, landfall in 6 hours
What's the story
Cyclone "Montha" is expected to make landfall near Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday evening. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted that the storm will intensify into a severe cyclonic storm with wind speeds of 90-100km/h, gusting up to 110km/h. The cyclone is currently located about 420km from Chennai, 500 km from Visakhapatnam, and 450km from Kakinada, moving at a speed of 15km/h.
Impact forecast
Heavy rainfall expected in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Chhattisgarh
IMD Director General Dr M Mohapatra told NDTV that Andhra Pradesh will be the most affected state, followed by Odisha and Chhattisgarh. Heavy rainfall is expected in these states between October 28 and 30. The cyclone is likely to affect over 1,400 villages and nearly 44 towns in Andhra Pradesh alone.
Evacuation efforts
Evacuations ordered along coast; NDRF teams deployed
In light of the impending cyclone, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has ordered evacuations from vulnerable coastal areas to rehabilitation centres and asked local authorities to ensure the supply of clean water and food. Nearly 50,000 people have been shifted to relief camps across the region. The state government has also deployed 22 teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) across five likely affected states: Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, and Chhattisgarh.
Twitter Post
Visuals from Odisha
#WATCH | Odisha: Rough sea, strong winds and rainfall in Ganjam district this morning, due to the impact of cyclone #Montha
— ANI (@ANI) October 28, 2025
Visuals from Aryapalli of Ganjam District. pic.twitter.com/SNRExjlOyi
Government response
PM Modi assures support to Naidu
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured Andhra Pradesh CM Naidu of all possible support. Meanwhile, in Odisha, authorities have taken precautionary measures by sheltering 30 Andhra fishing boats at Gopalpur Port. The state government is also evacuating people from vulnerable places and has issued red alerts in eight southern districts that are experiencing light rain.
Trajectory forecast
Orange alert issued for several districts in Andhra Pradesh
The IMD has stated that Andhra Pradesh will witness extremely heavy rainfall and strong winds due to the cyclone, issuing an orange alert for Peddapalli, Jayashankar Bhupalpally, and Mulugu districts. Meanwhile, six flights between Chennai and Visakhapatnam were cancelled on Tuesday. The South Central Railway (SCR) has also cancelled 54 train services operating under the Vijayawada Division. All beaches have been shut for tourists as a precautionary measure.