Disaster management authorities in Odisha have been placed on high alert as Cyclone Montha intensifies over the Bay of Bengal. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned that a severe cyclonic storm is likely to form by October 26, gradually strengthening as it moves northwest. The cyclone is projected to make landfall along the Andhra Pradesh coast, near Kakinada, between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam, during the evening or night of October 28.

In anticipation of the storm, Odisha has issued a heavy rainfall alert from October 27 onwards. Several districts, including Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput, and Malkangiri, are expected to experience heavy to extremely heavy rainfall between October 28 and 29. Wind speeds are likely to rise to 60–70 km/h, with gusts reaching up to

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