Cyclone Montha Landfall
Several districts in Andhra Pradesh experienced strong winds and heavy rain as Cyclone Montha approached the coast on the morning of October 28. The affected districts include:
- Kakinada
- Visakhapatnam
- Konaseema
- Krishna
- West Godavari
- Vizianagaram
Cyclone Montha is expected to make landfall between Kakinada and Machilipatnam on Tuesday night.
Impact and Evacuation
- Wind speeds reached up to 80 km per hour.
- Around 10,000 people were moved to relief camps in schools and government offices.
Understanding Landfall
Landfall is when a tropical cyclone moves onto land after being over water. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) defines it as when the storm's center, or eye, moves over the coast.
- It should not be confused with a ‘direct hit’, where high winds come ashore but the storm's center remains offshore.
- According to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a cyclone’s strongest winds can be experienced over land even without landfall.
Potential Damage and Duration
- Damage depends on cyclone severity, marked by wind speed.
- A "very severe" cyclone can cause:
- Extensive damage to kutcha houses.
- Partial disruption of power and communication lines.
- Minor disruption of rail and road traffic.
- Potential threat from flying debris.
- Flooding of escape routes.
Factors leading to damage include extremely strong winds, heavy rainfall, and storm surges causing devastating floods.
Landfalls can last for a few hours, with duration depending on wind speed and storm size. Cyclones lose intensity over land due to reduced moisture supply and increased surface friction, marking the beginning of their end despite the initial devastation.