Cyclone Phethai To Hit Andhra Pradesh Today, Coastal Areas On Alert

With Cyclone Phethai set to intensify and expected to strike Andhra Pradesh's Kakinada by noon on Monday, the state government scrambled to minimise the damage from the third such cyclone to hit the state this year. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu asked for precautionary measures to be taken to avoid damage to life and property. An alert has also been sounded in all of Andhra's nine coastal districts, with the national and state disaster response forces being kept on standby. The Indian Navy and coast guard have been called in to help as intensifying wind speeds of 100 kilometres per hour will likely make rescue efforts more challenging.