Visakhapatnam, Oct 28: Authorities have hoisted Great Danger Signal No. 10 at Kakinada Port as severe cyclone ‘Montha’ in the Bay of Bengal moves rapidly toward the Andhra Pradesh coast, triggering widespread alerts and precautionary measures.
The Cyclone Warning Centre, Visakhapatnam, on Tuesday directed officials to upgrade the danger signal from No. 7 to No. 10, the highest alert level for ports during severe cyclonic conditions. Signal No. 9 was hoisted at Visakhapatnam, Gangavaram, Kalingapatnam, and Bheemunipatnam ports, while Signal No. 8 was issued for Machilipatnam, Nizampatnam, Krishnapatnam, and Vadarevu ports.
According to the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA), the storm intensified into a severe cyclonic storm and is moving north-northwestwards at about 12 kmph. As of Tuesday evening, it was centered approximately 160 km from Machilipatnam, 240 km from Kakinada, and 320 km from Visakhapatnam. The Disaster Management Control Room is monitoring the situation closely.
The cyclone is expected to make landfall between Kakinada and Machilipatnam tonight, bringing wind speeds of 90–110 kmph and extremely heavy rainfall across coastal districts from Srikakulam to Nellore.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for coastal Andhra Pradesh, warning of scattered heavy to extremely heavy rainfall in districts including Visakhapatnam, Kakinada-Yanam, East and West Godavari, Krishna, Guntur, and Prakasam. Neighboring districts such as Nellore, Tirupati, Annamayya, YSR Kadapa, and Nandyal may also experience heavy rainfall.
The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) has issued high wave alerts, forecasting waves of 3 to 4.7 meters and warning of possible coastal erosion and wave surges. It has advised small vessels to stay ashore and recreational activities to remain suspended.
The APSDMA has urged residents in coastal areas to remain indoors and follow safety advisories as the cyclone approaches.
