India evacuates tens of thousands, shuts schools as Cyclone Montha nears eastern coast

Indian authorities have closed schools and evacuated tens of thousands of people from low-lying coastal areas as Cyclone Montha approaches the country's eastern coast.

According to the latest bulletin from the India Meteorological Department, Montha has intensified into a severe cyclonic storm over the Bay of Bengal and is expected to make landfall late Tuesday near Kakinada, a port city in southern Andhra Pradesh. The storm was located about 160 kilometres southeast of Machilipatnam in Andhra Pradesh.

Montha is predicted to strengthen further, bringing wind speeds of 90 to 110 kilometres per hour (55-68 mph) as it moves toward the eastern coastline. The weather office has issued red alerts, the highest level of weather warning, for 19 districts in Andhra Pradesh, forecasting extremely heavy rainfall. Neighbouring states, including Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Kerala, and Karnataka, are also expected to experience moderate to heavy showers.

Disaster management teams in Andhra Pradesh have evacuated 38,000 residents from low-lying areas to relief camps. State officials estimate that around 4 million people live in vulnerable zones and could be affected by the cyclone. A total of 1,906 relief camps and 364 school shelters have been prepared, with evacuations ongoing in 1,238 high-risk villages, said Nara Lokesh, the state minister for communications.

Schools and colleges will remain closed until Wednesday, while fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea. Train and flight services have also faced partial disruptions. In Odisha, authorities have relocated approximately 32,000 people from at-risk areas to relief shelters.

Experts say severe storms are becoming more frequent and intense in South Asia due to global warming, which is increasing air and ocean temperatures. Warmer oceans fuel stronger storms, particularly near coastal areas.

"Global warming is raising air temperatures and warming oceans. Warm oceans supply a large amount of energy to any tropical storm forming over them," said Akshay Deoras, a meteorologist at the University of Reading, UK.

India, the world's most populous country, is among the largest current emitters of greenhouse gases and is highly vulnerable to climate impacts. In 2024 alone, Asia experienced 167 disasters—the highest among all continents—causing losses exceeding $32 billion, according to the Emergency Events Database maintained by the University of Louvain, Belgium.

Tropical cyclones, known as hurricanes or typhoons in other regions, are among the most destructive natural disasters, especially when they strike densely populated coastal areas. India's eastern coastline has long been prone to cyclones, and the number of severe storms is steadily rising. In 2023, India faced its deadliest cyclone season in recent years, claiming 523 lives and causing an estimated $2.5 billion in damage.