Cyclone Montha: How it got the name & what it means? Andhra, Odisha brace for impact amid IMD's alert for rains

Cyclone Montha: Andhra Pradesh, Odisha are bracing for impact as Cyclone Montha nears Kankinada, with the storm likely to intensify into a 'Severe Cyclonic Storm' (SCS) and cross the Andhra Pradesh coast between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam during Tuesday evening and night, October 28,the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

How Cyclone Montha got its name?

The cyclones in the North Indian Ocean region get their respective names from a predetermined list submitted by countries in the region. The latest cyclone of the season – ‘Cyclone Montha’ – gets its name from Thailand, one of the 13 member countries that contribute to naming cyclones in the North Indian Ocean region.

What does ‘Montha’ mean?

In the Thai language, 'Montha' means fragrant flower or beautiful flower.

Click here for LIVE updates on Cyclone Montha

Cyclones in the North Indian Ocean region are named by the Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre (RSMC) in Delhi – operated by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) – under the supervision of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).

Names of the storms are used in rotation and are not to be reused once assigned to a cyclone. The first cyclonic storm of the season was named ‘Shakhti’, which was suggested by Sri Lanka.

Cyclone Montha impact: Rain alert issued, relief preps underway

• On Monday, BJP chief JP Nadda directed party units in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Andaman and Nicobar, to assist in rescue and relief operations.

• Coastal belt residents are being shifted to safer locations, with 260 relief centres in Kakinada and 140 in Nellore set up. 364 schools have also been readied as shelters and over 14,000 schools declared precautionary holidays in affected areas.

• According to ANI, the IMD has issued Red Alerts for Kakinada, Konaseema, West Godavari, Krishna, Bapatla, Prakasam and Nellore districts. At the same time, all beaches have been closed and fishermen have been advised not to venture out into the sea.

• As per the IMD forecast, heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected over Rayalaseema, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Coastal Karnataka, Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam, Chhattisgarh and some districts of West Bengal from around October 27-31. Check the full forecast here.
• The Andhra Pradesh government has prepared an action plan for relief and essential supplies in pre-cyclone preparedness for the storm – which includes stock positioning of Public Distribution System (PDS) commodities, fuel inventory management, paddy procurement steps, food supply to relief shelters among other steps.