Parts of coastal areas in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Odisha were put on alert on Monday after witnessing light to heavy rain coupled with high-speed winds due to the approaching Cyclone Montha , which, officials said, was intensifying 570 km from Kakinada, 600 km from Visakhapatnam, and 520 km from Chennai.

Moving west-northwestwards at a speed of 18kmph over the southwest-central Bay of Bengal, the cyclone is likely to cross the coast of Andhra Pradesh near Kakinada by Tuesday night with a wind speed of 90-110 kmph, the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority said. Respective administrations have evacuated people from the coastal villages across the three states and moved them to make-shift camps.

In Kakinada, which will bear the brunt of the cyclone as it is expected

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