Andhra, Odisha Gear up Evacuations as Cyclone Intensifies into Severe Storm: Cyclone Montha Strikes

Cyclone 'Montha' over the west-central Bay of Bengal has intensified into a severe cyclonic storm as of 5:30 am on Tuesday (October 28, 2025), moving north to northwestwards.

The storm is currently centered roughly 190 km south to southeast of Machilipatnam and is very likely to cross the Andhra Pradesh coast between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam, near Kakinada, during Tuesday evening or night.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasts the storm will make landfall with a maximum sustained wind speed of 90-100 kmph, gusting to 110 kmph.3 The storm has already triggered heavy to very heavy rains and strong winds, disrupting normal life.

A red alert has been issued for 16 districts in Andhra Pradesh. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has directed officials to carry out evacuations of coastal residents to rehabilitation centers. Nearly 10,000 people have been evacuated in the Kakinada and Konaseema regions, with 126 pregnant women shifted to hospitals.

The Odisha government has also initiated evacuations in eight southern districts where a red alert is in effect.