Severe Cyclone Montha Weakens, But Red Alert Continues in Six AP Districts

Even as severe Cyclone Montha weakened into a deep depression, six districts in Andhra Pradesh remain on red alert.

The cyclone crossed the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam—south of Kakinada near Narsapur—late on October 28 (Tuesday) night. However, strong winds and heavy to very heavy rainfall continued to lash the coastal districts from Nellore to Visakhapatnam through October 29 (Wednesday).

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Cyclone Montha over coastal Andhra Pradesh moved north-northwestwards at a speed of about 15 kmph during the past six hours. As of 5:30 a.m. on October 29, it was centered approximately 80 km northwest of Narsapur, 100 km west of Kakinada, 90 km north of Machilipatnam, 230 km west-southwest of Visakhapatnam, and 460 km southwest of Gopalpur in Odisha.

The system is expected to continue moving north-northwestwards across coastal Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, weakening further into a deep depression within the next three hours and into a depression over the subsequent six hours.

Heavy rains accompanied by gusty winds continue to batter the districts of Kakinada, East and West Godavari, NTR, Visakhapatnam, Alluri Sitarama Raju, and Srikakulam, causing extensive damage to crops. Numerous trees and electric poles were uprooted, disrupting power and road connectivity. One woman reportedly died after a tree fell on her.

Traffic on National Highway 16 was briefly disrupted after a massive tree fell near the Nookalamma Thalli Arch and Indian Oil petrol bunk in Anakapalli town, leading to heavy congestion. It took nearly two hours of continuous effort to remove the fallen tree and restore normal traffic flow.

District administrations, along with teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), remain on high alert across the state.