Cyclone Montha: Cyclone intensifies into 'severe cyclonic storm'

Cyclone Montha LIVE updates: India Meteorological Department has predicted that Cyclone ‘Montha’ is likely to turn into a ‘severe’ cyclone today and hit the coastal shores of Andhra Pradesh by tonight.

Cyclone Montha | Key points

The deep depression over Bay of Bengal that turned into a cyclonic storm – Cyclone Montha – intensified into a ‘severe’ cyclonic storm on Tuesday morning and is expected to make landfall at the coastal shores of Andhra Pradesh by tonight.
The cyclone is about 190 km south-southeast of Machilipatnam (Andhra Pradesh), 270 km south-southeast of Kakinada (Andhra Pradesh), 340 km south-southwest of Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), 550 km south-southwest of Gopalpur (Odisha).
Montha is likely to continue to move north-northwestwards and cross Andhra Pradesh coast between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam around Kakinada during evening/night of today, the 28th October as a severe cyclonic storm with a maximum sustained wind speed of 90-100 kmph gusting to 110 kmph.
The landfall is expected between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam around Kakinada during evening/night of October 28 as a severe cyclonic storm with a maximum sustained wind speed of 90-100 kmph gusting to 110 kmph, according to the IMD.
An orange alert has been issued in three districts of Peddapalli, Jayashankar Bhupalpally, and Mulugu. All remaining northeast districts of Andhra Pradesh are under yellow alert.
Eleven NDRF and 12 SDRF teams have been positioned with Fire Services, swimmers, OBM boats, life jackets and emergency equipment deployed across coastal zones, and the 108/104 ambulance network and medical camps have been activated in all cyclone shelters.

Cyclone Montha live: How far is the cyclone?

The cyclone is about 190 km south-southeast of Machilipatnam, 270 km south-southeast of Kakinada, 340 km south-southwest of Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh and 550 km south-southwest of Gopalpur in Odisha. It is likely to continue to move north-northwestwards and cross Andhra Pradesh coast between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam around Kakinada during evening/night of today, the 28th October as a severe cyclonic storm with a maximum sustained wind speed of 90-100 kmph gusting to 110 kmph.

Cyclone Montha live: What is a ‘severe cyclonic storm’?

As per the IMD website, a cyclonic disturbance with the maximum average surface wind speed is in the range of 89 to 117 kmph is categorised as ‘severe cyclonic storm’.

Cyclone Montha live: What is the status of Cyclone Montha weather system?

Cyclone ‘Montha’ over the westcentral Bay of Bengal moved north to northwestwards with a speed of 15 kmph during the past six hours and intensified into a severe cyclonic storm by 5.30 am on Tuesday, IMD said. The weather system lay centred 190 km south to southeast of Machilipatnam, 270 km south to southeast of Kakinada and 340 km south to southeast of Vizag at 5.30 am.