Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], October 28 (ANI): Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi chaired a high-level meeting at Lok Seva Bhavan in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday to assess the state's preparedness for Cyclone Montha, which is set to make landfall on the Andhra Coast and then move towards southern Odisha.

Minister of Revenue and Disaster Management Suresh Pujari, Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja, SRC DK Singh, DGP Yogesh Bahadur Khurania, Fire Services DG Sudhanshu Sarangi, IMD Director Manorama Mohanty, and senior officials from concerned departments were also present.

District Collectors from cyclone-vulnerable areas also joined the preparedness review meeting virtually, according to a release issued by the State government.

The cyclone over the west-central Bay of Bengal has intensified into a severe cyclonic storm and is expected to make landfall along the Andhra Pradesh coast between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam, near Kakinada, during the evening or night of Tuesday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

According to the IMD, 'The Cyclonic Storm Montha over the west-central Bay of Bengal moved north-northwestwards with a speed of 15 kmph during the past 6 hours, intensified into a severe cyclonic storm and lay centred at 0530 hrs IST today, the 28th October 2025, about 190 km south-southeast of Machilipatnam (Andhra Pradesh), 270 km south-southeast of Kakinada (Andhra Pradesh), 340 km south-southwest of Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), and 550 km south-southwest of Gopalpur (Odisha).'

'It is likely to continue to move north-northwestwards and cross the Andhra Pradesh coast between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam around Kakinada during the evening/night of today, the 28th October, as a severe cyclonic storm with a maximum sustained wind speed of 90-100 kmph gusting to 110 kmph,' it added.

Several coastal districts in Andhra Pradesh and southern Odisha, towards which the cyclone is expected to move after landfall, have already experienced heavy rainfall this morning.

Odisha's Ganjam district reported rough seas, strong winds, and rainfall, while rain lashed Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh due to the cyclone's impact.

Speaking about Cyclone Montha, the inspector in charge of the Marine Police Station, Aryapalli, in Odisha, Bidyabharati Nayak, said, 'Fishing boats that had come from Andhra Pradesh were unable to return due to the cyclone. Our Ganjam district collector ordered all of them to be settled in the harbour. We have provided shelter to 30 boats in the harbour at Gopalpur Port. They will remain there as long as the cyclone continues,' she said.

Chennai, Tamil Nadu, also received rainfall this morning. As per IMD, moderate rain with light thunderstorms and lightning is very likely to occur at a few places over Chengalpattu, Chennai, Kancheepuram, Kanniyakumari, Ranipet, Tenkasi, Thiruvallur, Thoothukkudi, Tirunelveli, Tirupathur, Tiruvannamalai, Vellore, Viluppuram, and Virudhunagar today.

As Cyclone Montha moves closer to the eastern coast, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has directed officials to take immediate action to safeguard lives and minimise damage in coastal areas. (ANI)