Cyclone Montha slammed Andhra and Odisha with torrential rains, fierce winds, and widespread devastation.
Vijayawada
Cyclone Montha made landfall near Kakinada on Tuesday night, unleashing relentless rain and wind gusts reaching 110 kmph across coastal Andhra Pradesh and parts of Odisha. Though it has since weakened into a cyclonic storm, the system has left behind extensive damage — from uprooted trees and damaged homes to flooded farmlands and disrupted transport networks.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Montha struck between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam around 7 pm on Tuesday. The cyclone has now weakened further and is expected to turn into a deep depression as it moves northwestwards.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu confirmed two deaths in the state, noting that pre-emptive evacuations helped avert larger casualties. Nearly 76,000 people were shifted to safety while 219 medical camps and hundreds of relief teams were deployed.
Cyclone Montha caused severe travel disruptions, grounding 32 flights in Visakhapatnam, 16 in Vijayawada, and four in Tirupati. The South Central Railway cancelled 120 trains, while the East Coast Railway diverted several others.
Agriculture suffered heavily, with standing crops across 38,000 hectares and horticultural produce over 1.38 lakh hectares destroyed. The IMD warned of potential damage to paddy and vegetable fields in waterlogged areas.
Odisha, too, faced Montha’s fury, as 15 districts reported heavy rainfall and winds. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Manjhi said more than 11,000 residents were moved to 2,048 cyclone shelters. Schools and anganwadi centres across nine districts remain shut till Thursday.
The IMD has issued red and orange alerts for coastal Andhra and Odisha, cautioning that heavy rainfall may persist as Montha continues inland, bringing risks of flooding and landslides across eastern and central India.