India evacuates thousands as cyclone Montha gains strength

India moved 50,000 people to relief camps on Monday as it 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 the southern state of Andhra Pradesh and the eastern state of 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 told the media.

Nearly 50,000 people have been moved to relief camps, a government report showed. Disaster teams have fanned out to move families from low-lying areas in Andhra Pradesh, where the government expects 3.9 million people to be affected.

Authorities in the southern state of Tamil Nadu have urged people to keep alert following forecasts for heavy to very heavy rain in some districts.

The South Central Railway on Monday announced cancellations of 72 trains in view of cyclone Montha in the Bay of Bengal, which is likely to cross the Andhra Pradesh coast near Kakinada on Tuesday.

As the cyclone is likely to affect several places in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Odisha, the South Central Railway (SCR) cancelled the trains scheduled for Oct.28 and Oct.29.