Cyclone Montha: 65 trains cancelled, flights hit as Andhra coast braces for storm

Railway authorities have cancelled more than 65 passenger and express trains across coastal Andhra Pradesh as Cyclone Montha advances toward the state’s coast. The cancellations, covering key routes through Vijayawada, Rajahmundry, Kakinada, Visakhapatnam and Bhimavaram, will remain in effect between October 28 and 29.

Officials said train services will resume only after a thorough safety assessment once weather conditions improve. The East Coast Railway has also suspended several services across the Odisha–Andhra corridor as a precautionary measure.

Flight operations have also been



disrupted. All IndiGo and Air India Express services scheduled for October 28 at Visakhapatnam Airport have been cancelled due to adverse weather conditions. Passengers have been advised to check flight status before heading to the airport.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for coastal Andhra, warning that Montha is likely to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm by Monday morning and make landfall between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam, around Kakinada, by the evening or night of October 28. Wind speeds are expected to reach 90–100 kmph, gusting up to 110 kmph.