In a pattern increasingly associated with sea-based storms in the North Indian Ocean in recent times, Sunday’s deep depression over the south-east Bay and adjoining south-west Bay of Bengal beat forecast timelines to intensify as cyclone Montha. It was declared during the intervening midnight of Sunday and Monday, ahead of its expected timeline, as a host of favourable factors hastened intensification off Tamil Nadu-Andhra Pradesh waters.
Montha is projected to intensify as a severe cyclone featuring wind speeds of 90-100 km/hr, gusting to 110 km/hr and will cross Andhra Pradesh coast between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam around Kakinada tomorrow (Tuesday) evening/night as a severe cyclone, the India Meteorological Department (IMD), said.
Extremely heavy rainfall (>20 cm) is warned of over Andhra Pradesh and Yanam tomorrow (Tuesday) and heavy to very heavy rainfall over coastal Andhra Pradesh Wednesday. Heavy to very heavy to extremely heavy rain is also predicted for south Odisha and north Odisha on both Tuesday and Wednesday. Isolated extremely heavy rainfall is forecast for Chhattisgarh, as the cyclone tracks to the east-northeast.
