The landfall process of severe cyclonic storm Montha began on Tuesday evening near Andhra Pradesh’s Kakinada coast and was expected to continue for the next three to four hours, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
"Latest observations indicate that the landfall process has commenced. The landfall process will continue for (the) next three to four hours," the India Meteorological Department (IMD) posted on X at 7:23 pm.
The cyclonic system has been moving north-northwestwards at a speed of 15 kilometres per hour after maintaining the same pace for the past six hours, according to the IMD.
Montha means a fragrant flower in Thai language.
The system will cross the Andhra Pradesh coast between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam, around Kakinada, as a severe cyclonic storm with maximum sustained wind speeds of 90–100 kmph, gusting up to 110 kmph.
The storm has brought with it powerful winds, torrential rain and widespread disruption across several parts of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal.
In the wake of Cyclone Montha’s impact, heavy rains lashed large parts of Annamayya district on Tuesday, triggering flash floods, swelling rivers and damaging road networks in eastern mandals, reported The Hindu.
The Rajampeta revenue division recorded 210 mm of rainfall in the past 24 hours, bearing the brunt of the deluge.
Penagalur, Railway Kodur, Rajampeta, Chitvel and Obulavaripalle mandals have been witnessing incessant downpours since Monday night.
The Gunjaneru rivulet, carrying heavy inflows from the adjoining Seshachalam hills, is in spate, while the Cheyyeru river near Rajampeta is brimming to the banks, inundating low-lying areas and rural roads.
The Chennai–Kadapa National Highway between Kukkaladoddi and Anantarajupeta in Railway Kodur mandal suffered severe damage, disrupting vehicular traffic.
Several minor causeways in Railway Kodur, Chitvel and Obulavaripalle mandals overflowed.
The Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA) has announced traffic restrictions in districts affected by the cyclone, halting the movement of heavy vehicles on national highways from 7 pm onwards as a precautionary measure to ensure public safety.
The IMD has forecast isolated extremely heavy rainfall over coastal Andhra Pradesh, Rayalaseema, Telangana and south Chhattisgarh on Tuesday, and over Odisha on October Tuesday and Wednesday, under the influence of multiple weather systems linked to the cyclone.
Flight operations have also been hit, with more than 35 services cancelled between Shamshabad in Telangana and airports in Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam and Rajahmundry.
A total of 30 IndiGo, two Air India and five Air India Express flights were cancelled as the storm approached the Andhra coast.
Montha also brought heavy rain in coastal and southern Odisha districts, causing landslides and damaging houses besides uprooting trees, officials said.
The preliminary reports of damages were received from eight southern Odisha districts of Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Gajapati, Ganjam, Kandhamal, Kalahandi and Nabarangpur.
Hours before its landfall, the effects of Cyclone Montha were felt in parts of West Bengal. The IMD urged residents to exercise caution as strong winds and rain were reported in Purulia.
In Chandannagar, Hooghly, a major accident occurred when the Kanailal Palli Jagaddhatri Puja panda, where the main attraction was a 70-foot-tall structure with a fibre-made idol of the Goddess in front.
The strong afternoon winds caused the entire structure to topple on Tuesday afternoon, injuring several people trapped under the bamboo framework and triggering panic among the crowd. Several were taken to hospital after police and locals conducted rescue operations.
In East and West Medinipur, scattered storms and rain began on Tuesday afternoon under the cyclone’s influence.
In Tamluk, East Medinipur, strong winds in the evening caused a large decorative archway erected for the Jagaddhatri Puja at Hakolla to collapse, blocking the Tamluk–Panskura State Highway. The obstruction was cleared once the wind subsided, with help from puja organisers and local residents.
The East Medinipur district administration said that special alerts have been issued for Digha and other coastal regions following the weather department’s advisory.
From around 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, the coastal belt, including Digha, began experiencing heavy rain and strong winds as Cyclone Montha continued to move inland.