Vijayawada: Severe Cyclonic storm Montha make landfall on the coast off Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday night at 8.30 pm. Montha means a fragrant flower in the Thai language.

Cyclone Montha caused disruptions in the Southern State, while the impact was also felt in neighbouring Odisha, where normal life was affected in 15 districts.

According to the IMD, the landfall process started around 7 pm that the weather system will cross the Andhra Pradesh coast between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam around Kakinada. It will continue to move north-northwestwards and cross the Andhra Pradesh coast between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam around Kakinada during the next two hours as a severe cyclonic storm with a maximum sustained wind speed of 90-100 km/h gusting to 110 km/h, said IMD in its latest update

One elderly woman died in Konaseema district due to after a tree fell on her house. In another incident, a boy and an auto driver were injured as strong winds uprooted coconut trees in the district.

The impact of Cyclone Montha witnessed in the districts of Kakinada, Krishna, Eluru, East Godavari, West Godavari, Dr BR Ambedkar Konaseema, and Chinturu and Rampachodavaram divisions of Alluri Sitarama Raju district in Andhra Pradesh.

The State Government has ordered the suspension of all vehicle movement in these seven districts from 8.30 pm on Tuesday to 6 am on Wednesday. The cyclone is likely to affect 403 mandals in 22 districts across the State.

The IMD cautioned that the cyclone may cause damage to standing paddy and vegetable crops in low-lying and inundated areas. Farmers have been advised to drain out excess water from fields wherever possible. People have been urged to stay updated on weather bulletins and follow advisories issued by the administration for safety.

To ensure uninterrupted emergency communication, 81 wireless towers and 21 large lamps have been installed. The Government has also kept 1,447 earthmovers, 321 drones, and 1,040 chainsaws ready to clear uprooted trees. As part of preparedness measures, 3.6 crore alert messages have been disseminated to residents across in AP.

Between 8.30 am and 4 pm, Ulavapadu in Nellore district recorded 12.6 cm of rainfall, followed by Kavali 12.2 cm, Dagadarthi 12 cm, Singarayakonda 10.5 cm, B Kodur 6 cm, and Visakhapatnam and Tuni 2 cm each.