Over 50,000 people have been moved to relief camps on Monday as the country began evacuations a day before Cyclone 'Montha', intensifying over the Bay of Bengal, is set to bring strong winds and heavy rains to its east coast, officials said.

Authorities cancelled holidays for emergency staff and ordered schools and colleges to close in coastal areas of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha forecast to be hit by the harsh weather.

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

"Evacuation of people from near the coast in Kakinada district has already started," a disaster management official in Andhra Pradesh said.

Nearly 50,000 people have been moved to relief camps, a govern

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