India evacuates tens of thousands as Cyclone Montha gains strength

HYDERABAD – India moved 50,000 people to relief camps on Oct 27 as it began evacuations a day before Cyclone Montha, intensifying over the Bay of Bengal, is set to bring strong winds and heavy rain to its east coast, officials said.

The authorities cancelled holidays for emergency staff and ordered schools and colleges to close in the coastal areas of the southern state of Andhra Pradesh and the eastern state of Odisha, which are forecast to be hit by the harsh weather.

The cyclone is likely to turn into a severe storm by Oct 28, before crossing the coast of Andhra Pradesh later in the day, the India Meteorological Department said.

“Evacuation of people from near the coast in Kakinada district has already started,” a disaster management official in Andhra Pradesh told Reuters.

Nearly 50,000 people have been moved to relief camps, a government report showed.

Disaster teams have fanned out to move families from low-lying areas in Andhra Pradesh, where the government expects 3.9 million people to be affected.

Fishermen in the neighbouring state of Odisha were warned to avoid venturing to sea.

Cyclones frequently hit India’s east coast between April and December. A super cyclone that killed nearly 10,000 when it hit Odisha in October 1999 remains one of the country’s deadliest natural disasters.

The authorities in the southern state of Tamil Nadu have urged people to stay alert following forecasts of heavy to very heavy rain in some districts.

Chennai, the state capital, is prone to flooding during intense rain, such as those brought by Cyclone Michaung in 2023.

In the Himalayan nation of Nepal, disaster authorities have warned of possible rain and snowfall from Oct 27 to 31 and advised trekkers to stay alert.

Floods and landslides triggered by heavy rain across Nepal killed 53 people in October. REUTERS