The powerful weather system claimed at least one life, displaced thousands, and brought widespread devastation to several coastal districts with torrential rains and gale-force winds
Published Oct 29, 2025 | 8:59 AM ⚊ Updated Oct 29, 2025 | 8:59 AM
The aftermath of Cyclone Montha on Andhra coast.
Synopsis: The severe cyclonic storm Montha crossed the coast near Narsapuram between Machilipatnam and Kakinada, leaving a trail of destruction across the eastern seaboard. It weakened into a cyclone and is expected to further weaken into a deep depression.
The severe cyclonic storm Montha crossed the coast near Narsapuram between Machilipatnam and Kakinada from 11. 30 pm on Tuesday to 12.30 am on Wednesday, 29 October, leaving a trail of destruction across the eastern seaboard, as reported by the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA).
By Wednesday morning, it weakened into a cyclone and is expected to further weaken into a deep depression.
The powerful weather system claimed at least one life, displaced thousands, and brought widespread devastation to several coastal districts with torrential rains and gale-force winds exceeding 110 kilometres per hour. The storm made initial contact around 7:30 PM on Monday evening, with the crossing process lasting approximately four hours.
APSDMA said, due to its impact, there is a possibility of moderate to heavy rainfall in the coastal districts on Wednesday. It advised people to take appropriate precautions.
The storm is being continuously monitored by Doppler Weather Radars at Machilipatnam and Visakhapatnam, along with coastal observatories, automatic weather stations, ships, buoys, and satellite systems.
The cyclone has claimed at least one confirmed casualty. A woman was killed in Makanagudem village in the Konaseema district when a tree fell on her house amid the powerful winds that accompanied the storm. The victim’s death underscores the lethal danger posed by falling trees, which have become one of the primary hazards during the cyclone.
Wind speeds during landfall reached 80-90 kilometres per hour, with gusts touching 110 kilometres per hour. The powerful gales uprooted numerous trees across affected districts, disrupted power supply lines, and inundated low-lying areas with flooding.
Coastal districts, particularly West Godavari, Krishna, East Godavari, and Konaseema, bore the brunt of Montha’s fury, experiencing continuous pounding from heavy rain and gusty winds. At Uppada in Kakinada district, the Arabian Sea turned turbulent, with waves flooding homes and destroying sections of the coastal road. Police were forced to seal off the Kakinada-Uppada beach road after waves breached embankments.
Power outages have been reported across several areas, including Machilipatnam, after trees fell on transmission lines. Roads have been blocked by debris, and low-lying areas remain waterlogged.
Andhra Pradesh Police personnel cleared fallen trees and restored traffic movement in Epurupalem, Vetapalem, and nearby areas. Strong winds had hit the region.
In Kakinda, over 800 people had been shifted to a relief camp in Vakalapudi as a precautionary measure amid fears of Cyclone Montha. Authorities have provided food and medical facilities, while the power supply in nearby districts has been cut off as a safety measure.
P Panduranga Rao, Village Executive Officer, told the media on Tuesday night, “We have set up a rehabilitation centre here on the instructions of the chief minister, deputy chief minister, and other government officials. We are accommodating people from nearby areas and have arranged hygienic food and 24-hour medical facilities. Nearly 800 people have been evacuated so far. The cyclonic storm is expected to pass through the Amalapuram district in a few hours. Once the situation normalises, we will shift everyone back from the relief camp.”
Nellore district recorded the heaviest rainfall on Tuesday, according to IMD data. The Met Department has forecast light to moderate rainfall at most places across Andhra Pradesh and Yanam, with heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few locations continuing until 29 October. Extremely heavy rainfall exceeding 20 cm has been predicted at isolated places during this period.
For 30 October, the IMD has forecast light to moderate rainfall at many places with heavy rainfall at isolated places over north coastal Andhra Pradesh. As the cyclone system moves further inland, heavy rainfall is also expected for parts of Telangana, Jharkhand, and West Bengal over the coming days.
In anticipation of the storm’s fury, the Andhra Pradesh government implemented extensive precautionary measures. Authorities imposed a night curfew in seven affected districts on Monday, suspending all vehicular movement except for emergency services. More than 10,000 residents, mostly fishing families, were evacuated from 65 villages across 12 coastal mandals ahead of landfall. Thousands of displaced residents took refuge in emergency shelters as the cyclone’s eye moved inland.
Schools and colleges across Andhra Pradesh have been shut down following the cyclone’s impact. The weather office issued red alerts—the highest level of weather warnings—for 19 districts in Andhra Pradesh, forecasting extremely heavy rains and advising residents to remain indoors.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has positioned 45 teams across the affected region for ongoing relief and rescue operations. Emergency services have been working around the clock to clear debris, restore power, and assist displaced families.
Cyclone Montha caused massive disruption to transportation networks across the region. Rail authorities cancelled a total of 120 trains across the South Central Railway zone as a safety precaution. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw reviewed the preparedness of the East Coast and South Central Railway zones, directing officials to ensure passenger safety and maintain close coordination with disaster management agencies.
Air travel was similarly affected, with dozens of flights grounded at major airports including Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, and Tirupati. Airlines have been working to reschedule services as weather conditions improve.
Meanwhile, IndiGo Airlines said there could be disruptions in flight operations on Wednesday.
“While we strive to make your journey as seamless as possible, certain factors remain beyond our control. Due to the prevailing cyclone conditions and expected heavy rainfall in and around #Vijayawada, #Visakhapatnam, and #Rajahmundry, flight operations to and from these cities are likely to be affected,” it said in a post on X.
Compounding concerns for weather officials, a separate Depression over the east-central Arabian Sea has been tracked moving northeastwards at eight kilometres per hour.
As of 2.30 am on Wednesday, this system was centred near latitude 17.8°N and longitude 69.1°E—approximately 440 kilometres southwest of Veraval in Gujarat, 420 kilometres west-southwest of Mumbai in Maharashtra, and 570 kilometres west-northwest of Panjim in Goa.
The IMD has stated that this depression is likely to continue moving northeastwards across the east-central Arabian Sea over the next 36 hours. While this system remains separate from Cyclone Montha, authorities are monitoring it closely for any potential impact on western coastal regions.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil with inputs from Sumit Jha.)
