Severe Cyclone Montha's Landfall Begins

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) announced on Tuesday evening that the landfall process of Cyclone Montha has commenced and is expected to continue for three to four hours. Montha had intensified into a Severe Cyclonic Storm on Tuesday morning as it tracked toward the Andhra Pradesh coast, triggering heavy rain across parts of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Tamil Nadu.

The storm is forecast to cross the coast between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam, near Kakinada. In preparation for the landfall, 25 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have been deployed across five regions: Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, and Puducherry.

The severe weather has led to significant travel disruption, including the cancellation of train services. Additionally, at least 35 flights connecting Shamshabad in Telangana with Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, and Rajahmundry airports in Andhra Pradesh have been cancelled.

Operations at Visakhapatnam airport have also been shut down. Storm Montha's landfall has begun on the Andhra Pradesh coast, expected to last 3-4 hours. With 25 NDRF teams deployed and 35 flights cancelled, heavy rain is hitting AP, Odisha, and Tamil Nadu.

The IMD had previously issued heavy rain alerts as the deep depression over the Bay of Bengal intensified into a cyclonic storm on Sunday.