Cyclone Montha likely to intensify into severe cyclonic storm by October 28 morning

Amaravati: The India Meteorological Department on Monday said cyclonic storm Montha is likely to intensify into a severe cyclonic 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.