October 27, Colombo (LNW): Cyclone Montha, currently gathering strength over the southeast Bay of Bengal, is predicted to develop into a full-fledged cyclonic storm by later today.
Meteorologists anticipate it will hit the Andhra Pradesh coastline near Kakinada, between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam, tomorrow evening or night, bringing wind speeds of 90 to 100 kilometres per hour and gusts reaching up to 110 km/h.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued warnings of heavy rainfall across several southern states, including Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry, over the coming days.
The weather system, which recently intensified into a deep depression, is forecast to strengthen further into a severe cyclonic storm within the next 24 hours.
Authorities have mobilised emergency and disaster response teams, placing additional units on alert for rapid deployment should conditions worsen. The IMD has also urged fishermen to avoid venturing into the sea along and off the coasts of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Puducherry, and Odisha between 26 and 29 October, as rough sea conditions and high winds are expected.
