The severe cyclonic storm 'Montha' over the west-central Bay of Bengal is currently about 100 km off Machilipatnam and 180 km off Kakinada, the India Meteorological Department said on Tuesday. The weather system moved north-northwestwards at a speed of 10 kmph during the past hour and lay centred at 1.30 pm over the same region, the IMD said in a release.
"The severe cyclonic storm 'Montha' over west-central Bay of Bengal moved north-northwestwards with a speed of 10 kmph during the past one hour and lay centered at 1.30 pm today over the same region," the department said. 'Montha' means a fragrant flower in the Thai language.
Following the developments, over 100 trains have been cancelled by the South Central Railway and East Coast Railway for the next two days. Additionally, due to Cyclone ‘Montha,’ GMR Airports reported the cancellation of over 35 flights between Telangana's Shamshabad airport and the Andhra Pradesh airports of Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, and Rajahmundry.
From the port city of Visakhapatnam, the cyclone was positioned about 270 km away in the sea, with wind speeds gusting up to 110 kmph. According to the IMD, 'Montha' is likely to continue moving north-northwestwards and cross the Andhra Pradesh coast between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam, around Kakinada, during the evening and night of Tuesday as a severe cyclonic storm. It is expected to bring maximum sustained wind speeds of 90–100 kmph, gusting up to 110 kmph.
Meanwhile, a woman died in Makanagudem village of Konaseema district after a tree was uprooted in strong gales and fell on her, informed a police officer.
Under the influence of the cyclone, Machilipatnam recorded 5.2 mm of rainfall since 8:30 am, followed by Narasapur (9.8 mm), Tuni (15.6 mm), Kakinada (5.7 mm), and Visakhapatnam (0.2 mm). Continuous rain has also been lashing Nellore district for the past 36 hours, with an average of five cm recorded in the last 24 hours and some pockets receiving up to seven cm, an official informed.
"Heavy rainfall is expected to continue for the next 12 hours, and monitoring teams are on alert across vulnerable urban and rural areas," the official added.
"Nineteen relief camps are operational and over seven hundred people are staying there," Nellore District Collector Himanshu Shukla cited, adding that there was "no major concern" from rivers or irrigation tanks at present, and the situation was being assessed regularly by field teams.
"The power supply remains stable across the district with no reported disruptions so far. Control rooms are functioning round the clock to address emergencies," the collector added.
Vaishnaw reviews the railway's preparedness for Cyclone Montha-
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw reviewed the railway's preparedness for Cyclone Montha and directed the railway zones concerned to take precautionary measures in anticipation of the cyclone's impact on India's east coast.
An official statement added that the railway minister discussed the key action points, such as activation of divisional war rooms, readying essential materials, machinery, and manpower, especially in Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, and Guntur divisions, along with monitoring train operations to minimise passenger inconvenience.
"The minister has asked East Coast, South Coast, and South Central zones to mobilise resources for emergency response and take necessary precautions," a senior railway official said.
He added that the review meeting, held through video conferencing, focused on assessing the readiness of the railway network along the east coast.
"The Union Minister reviewed the measures being taken for passenger safety, train regulation, restoration planning, and coordination with local administrations and disaster management agencies," the press note said.
Authorities have advised residents in vulnerable coastal areas to remain indoors and follow official safety instructions until conditions improve. In view of the severe cyclonic storm, the Indian Railways cancelled, diverted, and rescheduled multiple passenger trains across the Waltair Division of the East Coast Railway Zone in the interest of passenger safety.
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