Cyclone Montha likely to intensify into severe cyclonic storm by Oct 28: IMD
Amaravati: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Monday said cyclonic storm Montha is likely to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm by October 28 morning.
The weather system over the southwest and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal moved northwestwards with a speed of 15 km per hour (kmph) during the past six hours and lay centred over southwest and adjoining areas of westcentral and southeast Bay of Bengal at 5.30 am today.
"It is likely to continue to move northwestwards over southwest and adjoining westcentral Bay of Bengal during the next 12 hours and then north-northwestwards and intensify into a severe cyclonic storm by October 28 morning," said an official release from the Met Department.
According to the Met Department, Montha lay over latitude 12.2 degrees north and 85.3 degrees east at 5.30 am today, about 620 km south to southeast of Kakinada, 650 km south to southeast of Vizag, 560 km east to southeast of Chennai, 790 km south of Gopalpur (Odisha) and 810 km west of Port Blair (Andaman & Nicobar Islands).
Later, the weather system is expected to move further north-northwestwards to cross Andhra Pradesh coast between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam around Kakinada during the evening and night of October 28 as a severe cyclonic storm with a maximum sustained wind speed of up to 110 kmph.
Meanwhile, the Met Department forecast light thunderstorms accompanied by gusty winds with up to a speed of 40 kmph and moderate rainfall at a few places over Anakapalli, Kakinada, Konaseema, Srikakulam, Nellore, Tirupathi, Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and West Godavari districts in the next three hours.
Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA) managing director Prakhar Jain advised people to stay indoors.
He said heavy to very heavy rains are likely today in Kakinada, Konaseema, West Godavari, Krishna, Bapatla, Prakasam and Nellore districts.
Likewise, he said heavy rains are likely in Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Parvatipuram Manyam, Alluri Sitaramaraju, Visakhapatnam and Anakapalli districts.
Jain said similar weather is expected in East Godavari, Eluru, NTR, Guntur, Palnadu, Chittoor and Tirupati districts.
Cyclone Montha: Orange alert in 4 Tamil Nadu districts
IMD on Monday issued an orange alert for four northern coastal districts of Tamil Nadu, Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kanchipuram, and Ranipet, warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and strong winds.
According to the latest IMD bulletin, the system, which developed from a deep depression over the southeast Bay of Bengal, is expected to intensify further and move northwestward over the next 24 hours.
Under its influence, weather conditions are likely to deteriorate across the northern coastal belt of Tamil Nadu, particularly in and around the Chennai region.
“An orange alert has been issued for Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kanchipuram, and Ranipet districts, indicating the likelihood of very heavy rainfall at isolated places,” the IMD said in its statement.
The department also noted that moderate to heavy rain accompanied by thunder and lightning could occur in several parts of the city and suburbs today, with localised intense downpours in some areas.
For Tuesday, the IMD forecast includes an orange alert for Tiruvallur district and a yellow alert for Ranipet, Chennai, Kanchipuram, and Chengalpattu districts, signalling the possibility of continued widespread rainfall activity.
Residents in low-lying areas have been advised to remain cautious, and the fishermen have been warned against venturing into the sea due to rough conditions along the Tamil Nadu and south Andhra coasts.