Cyclone Hits Andhra, One Dead, Schools Closed

• Cyclone Montha hit Andhra Pradesh/Yanam, weakening to a cyclonic storm.
• Heavy rain disrupted Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Telangana, and other states.
• Odisha saw normal life affected across 15 districts by strong winds.

Cyclone Montha made landfall on Tuesday, crossing the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam, south of Kakinada, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. The “severe cyclonic storm” has since weakened into a cyclonic storm, with sustained wind speeds of 90–100 kmph and gusts up to 110 kmph.

The storm brought extremely heavy rainfall to parts of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Telangana, prompting widespread disruptions. Its impact extended to Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand, and West Bengal, where heavy rain alerts have been issued. In Odisha, normal life was affected across 15 districts as strong winds and downpours lashed the region.