Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha Schools Closed on October 28 as cyclone Montha approaches

Cyclone Montha School Closed in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha: The system, which formed as a deep depression on October 26 and quickly strengthened to a cyclonic storm, was expected to bring very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall, gusty winds and coastal inundation across parts of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and neighbouring States.

Cyclone Montha School Holidays: Heavy rain alerts issued in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and neighbouring States. (Image: AI Generated)

Cyclone Montha School Holidays: Cyclone Montha rapidly strengthened over the southeast Bay of Bengal. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted it would make landfall on October 28, Tuesday, between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam, near Kakinada, as a severe cyclonic storm.

The system, which began as a deep depression on October 26, quickly intensified. It was expected to bring heavy to very heavy rainfall, strong winds, and coastal flooding to parts of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and nearby states.

School closures in Andhra Pradesh

In Andhra Pradesh, authorities have announced school closures in several districts in anticipation of Cyclone Montha. Schools, colleges and other educational institutions in districts such as Kakinada, East Godavari, Konaseema, Eluru and West Godavari have been ordered closed from 27 October (in some cases) through to 31 October. In similar lines, schools in Kakinada district have been shut from 27–31 October.

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The IMD has issued red alerts for many districts in the state for 27–29 October, and the government has activated action plans covering food supply, fuel backups for hospitals and telecom, and Public Distribution System (PDS) deliveries in coastal zones.

Educational institutions shut in Odisha

Odisha has placed all of its districts on alert, and specifically eight southern districts (Malkangiri, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Rayagada, Gajapati, Ganjam, Kandhamal, Kalahandi) have been designated as “red-zone” for extremely heavy rainfall and strong winds.

Schools, anganwadi centres and colleges in districts such as Gajapati have been ordered shut until 30 October, as per local reports.

The government has deployed disaster-response teams (ODRAF, NDRF, fire services) and begun evacuations in vulnerable areas. School closures are part of these precautionary measures to mitigate risk to students and educational infrastructure.

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Tamil Nadu school closures

Several districts in the State saw precautionary school closures in anticipation of heavy showers and gusty winds, notably in the Chennai metropolitan area and neighbouring coastal districts where local collectors had already announced temporary holidays for schools and, in some cases, colleges.

The IMD forecast included heavy to very heavy rainfall for parts of Tamil Nadu on October 27–28 as the cyclone approaches and moves northward; authorities advised residents in low-lying coastal localities to be watchful for waterlogging and advised against non-essential travel during peak rainfall periods.

What do the alerts mean for students, and parents?

Red alert (highest): very likely/expected impact — districts under red warning were ordered to treat the situation as dangerous; schools and public gatherings are routinely shut under these conditions.

Orange/yellow alerts: indicate progressively lower but still significant risk; local authorities decide on closures and evacuations based on micro-forecasts and ground conditions