India has shifted about 50,000 residents to temporary shelters on Monday, launching large-scale evacuations ahead of Cyclone Montha, which is strengthening over the Bay of Bengal and expected to lash the eastern coastline with fierce winds and heavy downpours, according to officials.

Authorities have suspended holidays for emergency personnel and instructed schools and colleges to shut in coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha that are projected to experience severe weather conditions.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the system could escalate into a severe cyclone by Tuesday before making landfall along the Andhra Pradesh coast later in the day.

“Evacuation of people from near the coast in Kakinada district has already started,” a disaster management official in Andhra Pradesh told Reuters.

A government statement confirmed that nearly 50,000 individuals have already been placed in relief centers.

Rescue teams have been deployed to relocate communities from flood-prone areas in Andhra Pradesh, where authorities estimate 3.9 million people may be impacted.

In Odisha, fishermen have been cautioned not to venture into the sea during the dangerous conditions.

India’s eastern seaboard is often struck by cyclones between April and December. One of the most catastrophic storms in the country’s history was the super cyclone in October 1999 that claimed nearly 10,000 lives in Odisha.

Meanwhile, officials in Tamil Nadu have advised residents to remain vigilant with weather forecasts predicting heavy to extremely heavy rainfall in several districts.

Chennai, the state’s capital, is especially vulnerable to severe flooding, as witnessed during Cyclone Michaung in 2023.

In Nepal, authorities have issued alerts about potential rain and snowfall from Tuesday through Friday and urged trekkers to stay cautious.

This month alone, floods and landslides triggered by intense rainfall have killed 53 people across the Himalayan nation, reports Arab News.