Bhubaneswar: The severe cyclonic storm “Montha” was 530 km south-southwest of Gopalpur in Odisha at 8,30 am on Tuesday, having moved north-northwestwards with a speed of 12 kmph during past 6 hours.
The season’s first major storm is expected to make landfall near Kakinada by tonight, between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam, packing a maximum sustained wind speed of 90–100 kmph, gusting to 110 kmph, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
Director, CEC at Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan University, Sarat Sahu said that the system is expected to make landfall between 9 pm and 11 pm near Kakinada. “Under the influence of the approaching cyclone, weather conditions have already changed across coastal regions, resulting in heavy rain and gusty winds. North Andhra Pradesh and South Odisha are expected to experience heavy to very heavy rainfall as the system advances inland,” he said.
As Montha progresses, rainfall is likely to ease in coastal Odisha but intensify in the interior regions. Rain is expected to persist until October 29, he added.
Red and orange warning has been issued for the districts of Koraput, Malkangiri, Rayagada, Nabarangpur, Kalahandi, Ganjam, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Khurda, Puri, Nayagarh, Nuapada, Balangir and Sonepur on October 28-29.
Government officials and disaster response units are already on the ground ensuring swift and coordinated action as Odisha is bracing for heavy impact in eight southern districts, Malkangiri, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Rayagada, Gajapati, Ganjam, Kalahandi, and Kandhamal. While around 3,000 people, including 1,496 pregnant women, have already been evacuated from low-lying and hilly regions across these districts, and another 32,528 people are expected to be evacuated to safety.
Authorities are also closely monitoring Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput and Malkangiri districts for possible landslides. In Gajapati district, about 339 locations have been identified as landslide-prone, with similar alerts issued for other hilly areas.
A total of 140 response teams – 24 ODRAF teams 5 NDRF teams 111 Fire Service teams- have been stationed in districts that are likely to be impacted the most by the storm. “All departments are in constant communication, and focus is on ensuring timely execution of all tasks. The government is fully prepared to safeguard lives and property,” said Revenue and Disaster management Minister Suresh Pujari.
Meanwhile, sea has turned turbulent at Gopalpur Port under the impact of Cyclone Montha. The district administration has restricted people from going to the beach. Similarly in Puri, lifeguards and Fire Department officials were seen stopping tourists from bathing in the sea and asking them to move away from the beach.
