CHENNAI: Heavy to very heavy rainfall and strong surface winds are expected in Chennai and three other districts on Monday, while cyclonic storm Montha is likely to be centred around 2.30 p.m., about 600 km east-southeast of Chennai, weather officials said.
B. Amudha, Director of the Regional Meteorological Centre, said that apart from Chennai, heavy to very heavy rainfall is also expected in Ranipet, Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram, while heavy rainfall is likely in Villupuram and Chengalpattu.
Puducherry is also set to receive heavy rainfall, Amudha told PTI.
Regarding Cyclone Montha, it is expected to continue moving west-northwestwards over the southwest and adjoining west-central Bay of Bengal during the next 12 hours, she added.
Thereafter, it is likely to move northwestwards and then north-northwestwards, intensifying into a severe cyclonic storm by the morning of 28 October, she said.
According to the IMD bulletin, the cyclone is very likely to cross the Andhra Pradesh coast between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam, around Kakinada, during the evening or night of 28 October as a severe cyclonic storm, with maximum sustained wind speeds of 90–100 kmph, gusting up to 110 kmph.