The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued orange and yellow alerts across Tamil Nadu in anticipation of Cyclone Montha as of Tuesday (28 October). The following are the details:

• Cyclone Montha is expected to bring heavy rainfall to parts of north Tamil Nadu until it crosses the coast on Tuesday (28 October).
• On Tuesday (28 October), orange alert for very heavy rainfall has been issued in Thiruvallur district of Tamil Nadu. Yellow alert for heavy rainfall has been maintained in Chennai, Chengalpattu, Ranipettai, Kancheepuram, Tenkasi, Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, and Theni districts of Tamil Nadu on Tuesday (28 October). Rest all the other districts, including Puducherry, have been forecast with yellow alert for thunderstorm, lightning and squall.
• However, according to the nowcast display of IMD, issued at 0400 hours (local time) and valid until 0700 hours (local time) on Tuesday (28 October), orange alert for very heavy rainfall has been maintained in Chennai, Chengalpattu, Vellore, Villupuram, Thiruvannamalai, Thiruvallur, Ranipettai, Kancheepuram districts of Tamil Nadu. Moderate rainfall of 05-15 millimeter per hour rainfall is expected to be accompanied by light thunderstorms with maximum surface wind speed of less than 40 kilometers per hour (kmph).
• From Wednesday-Friday (29 October-31 October), no alerts have been issued as of Tuesday (28 October).
• The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC), Chennai, has forecast Tiruvallur district to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall up to 20 centimetres (cm).
• Eight other districts, including Chennai, Kancheepuram, Ranipet, Theni, Kanyakumari, and ghat areas of Tirunelveli, are likely to receive rainfall up to 12 cm.
• The cyclonic storm Montha, moving at 17 kmph over the past six hours, was located over the west-central and adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal, approximately 440 km east of Chennai and 490 km south-southeast of Kakinada (Andhra Pradesh) as of Monday (27 October).
• It is expected to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm by the morning hours of Tuesday (28 October) and move northwestwards, crossing the Andhra Pradesh coast between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam near Kakinada with maximum wind speeds of 90-100 kmph, gusting up to 110 kmph.
• Strong surface winds gusting up to 50 kmph are expected over north coastal and adjoining districts of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and the Karaikal area on Tuesday (28 October).
• Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea due to squally winds along and off the Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coast, Gulf of Mannar, and Comorin area until Thursday (30 October).
• In Chennai, the floodgates of the Red Hills reservoir were closed due to reduced inflow and rainfall on Monday (27 October), while water discharge from the Poondi reservoir, a major drinking water source, was gradually stepped up to 7,000 cubic feet per second as of Monday (27 October) following heavy inflows from check dams upstream in Tamil Nadu and the Ammapalli dam in Andhra Pradesh.
• Due to Cyclone Montha, schools in Chennai and surrounding areas have been closed on Tuesday (28 October) as a precautionary measure. The decision to shut schools is part of safety measures for students and staff in anticipation of heavy rainfall, strong winds, and potential waterlogging.
• The local administration is monitoring the situation continuously and may take further measures depending on the cyclone’s intensity and rainfall impact.