Cyclone Montha makes landfall; coastal Andhra braces for impact

The landfall of Cyclone Montha, which is expected to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm, has begun, Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA) Managing Director Prakhar Jain said on Monday, news agency PTI reported.

Coastal districts are experiencing rain and strong gales, he added.

"Cyclone has begun. Coastal districts are witnessing rainfall accompanied by gales," Jain said in a release, adding that the system will intensify further as it approaches land.

According to him, the weather system moved at a speed of 18 km per hour in the past six hours. It was located about 560 km off Visakhapatnam as of Monday evening and is expected to strengthen into a severe cyclonic storm by Tuesday morning.

"The cyclone is likely to cross the Andhra Pradesh coast near Kakinada during the evening or night of October 28 as a severe cyclonic storm," Jain said.

He urged people in the coastal districts to remain vigilant and follow safety advisories issued by authorities.