NEW DELHI: Indian authorities have shut schools and evacuated tens of thousands of people from low-lying coastal areas as the country’s eastern seaboard braces for the impact of Cyclone Montha later Tuesday.
Swirling over the Bay of Bengal, Montha has intensified into a severe cyclonic storm, and is expected to make a landfall tonight near the port city of Kakinada in southern Andhra Pradesh, the weather office said in its latest bulletin.
The storm is currently hovering around 160 kilometers southeast of Machilipatnam in Andhra Pradesh.
It is expected to intensify, bringing winds of 90 kph to 110 kph as it pushes toward the country’s eastern coastline and make landfall.
The weather office has issued red alerts for 19 districts in Andhra Pradesh, forecasting extremely heavy rains. The neighboring states of Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Kerela and Karnataka are also expected to receive moderate to heavy showers.
