The landfall by severe cyclonic storm Montha in the Bay of Bengal continued near Kakinada on Tuesday night, triggering heavy rains and strong winds in the region.
The cyclone started making landfall around 8 p.m. at Antarvedipalli between Kakinada and Machilipatnam.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said that land landfall process may continue for another two hours.
The maximum wind speed at the time of landfall is likely to be 90-110 km per hour.
There were reports of trees getting uprooted and disruption in the electricity supply in some towns and villages in the coastal districts.
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu remained at the Real Time Governance centre on Tuesday night to review the situation.
He directed officials to remain alert throughout the night to prevent loss of life and property
The Chief Minister held a teleconference with district collectors to review the current status of the cyclone. He instructed ministers to visit the cyclone-affected areas, interact with the people, and immediately implement relief measures to instil confidence among them.
He emphasised that power supply should be restored promptly after the cyclone by repairing damaged electric poles and substations. The CM further stated that he has requested the Centre to send central teams to assess the overall cyclone damage, including crop losses.
The IMD said that under the impact of Montha, heavy to extremely heavy rainfall is expected in Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Rayalaseema, Telangana, South Chhattisgarh, and Odisha.
The IMD appealed to people to stay indoors to stay safe and follow official updates.
The impact of the cyclone is likely to be severe in Kakinada, Krishna, Eluru, East Godavari, West Godavari, Dr B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema, and Chinturu and Rampachodavaram divisions of Alluri Sitarama Raju district.
The state government ordered the suspension of vehicle movement in these seven districts from 8.30 p.m. on Tuesday to 6 a.m. on Wednesday.
District Collectors and Superintendents of Police were instructed to halt traffic on all types of roads, including national highways passing through these districts. However, an
exemption has been granted only for emergency medical services.
The government has advised all residents in these districts to stay indoors, not to venture outside, and to remain vigilant.
The cyclone is likely to affect 403 mandals in 22 districts across the state. The officials have set up 488 control rooms in mandals to deal with the emergency situation
The government has set up a total of 1,204 relief camps, and 75,802 people have been evacuated to these camps.
The IMD has issued a red alert for the coastal districts, which also face the threat of flash floods.
Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, Anakapalle, Nellore, Konaseema, and Kakinada districts have been receiving heavy rains with strong winds.
High tidal waves have damaged the Uppada-Kakinada beach road. Authorities have closed the road for traffic.
Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea for five days. All activities on the coast have been suspended. Authorities have closed the beaches for tourists.
Meanwhile, Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw posted on X that he spoke to Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, along with concerned Railway officials. Decisions taken for immediate restoration work post landfall of the cyclone, he said.
Responding to this, Chief Minister Naidu thanked the Union minister for his concern and support on Cyclone Montha. “The Union and State Governments stand prepared together to mitigate the impact of the cyclone, prioritising the safety of our people,” posted Naidu.
