Cyclone Montha Weather Alert: What was feared, happened… Cyclone Montha wreaked havoc in the coastal areas of Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday night. After hitting the coast as a Severe Cyclonic Storm, it caused heavy damage in many parts of South India.
The impact of the storm is being felt from Odisha, Telangana, Chhattisgarh to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. What was feared, happened… Cyclone Montha wreaked havoc in the coastal areas of Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday night. After hitting the coast as a Severe Cyclonic Storm, it caused heavy damage in many parts of South India. The impact of the storm is being felt from Odisha, Telangana, Chhattisgarh to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Cyclone Montha made landfall on the Andhra Pradesh coast near Kakinada between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam on Tuesday. The wind speed at that time was 90 to 100 kmph. High waves hit the coastal areas, and trees and electricity poles were uprooted at many places.
An elderly woman died in Konsima district of Andhra Pradesh when a tree fell on her house due to strong winds. In the same district, two people, including an auto driver, were injured when a coconut tree fell due to strong winds. The Meteorological Department said that the name ‘Montha’ is derived from the Thai language, which means fragrant flower. However, this cyclone, contrary to its name, caused devastation.
Normal life has been affected in 15 districts of Odisha. Power supply has been disrupted in many places, and incidents of tree fall have been reported. According to the latest IMD bulletin, the cyclone will move northwards in the next 24 hours, reaching some parts of eastern and central India. It will affect many districts of Uttar Pradesh. Talking about Punjab, the weather here too may change for the next 24 hours. It will remain cloudy for the next 2 days.
Cyclone Montha is likely to cause very heavy rainfall in Odisha. Heavy to very heavy rainfall warning has also been issued for Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Saurashtra-Kutch, Telangana and Vidarbha. Heavy rainfall is also expected in Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Goa. Apart from this, lightning and thunderstorm are also expected in East Uttar Pradesh.
IMD has said that thunderstorms with lightning and strong winds (30 to 60 kmph) are likely in many states. Winds reaching a speed of 40-60 kmph are likely in Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Vidarbha and Kerala.
Squally winds reaching 30-40 kmph are likely in some parts of coastal Karnataka, Odisha, Jharkhand and West Bengal. Wind speed is expected to reach 65 to 75 kmph along the north Andhra Pradesh coast. The Meteorological Department has strongly advised fishermen not to venture into the sea. High waves and rough seas will prevail along the coasts of Karnataka, Goa, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal. Gusty winds reaching 35 to 65 kmph are likely in many parts of the east-central Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal.
Heavy rains and strong winds are expected in Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar and East Uttar Pradesh for the next two days under the influence of Cyclone Montha. The Meteorological Department has directed disaster management agencies to remain alert and deploy relief and rescue teams in vulnerable areas.
