A powerful severe cyclonic storm — Cyclone Montha — is tearing across the Bay of Bengal, heading straight for India’s eastern coast. Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Tamil Nadu are on high alert as winds surge past 110 kmph, uprooting trees, flooding cities, and halting flights and trains. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued red warnings for multiple coastal districts, with mass evacuations underway. From Kakinada to Machilipatnam, people brace for landfall tonight as authorities battle rising tides and power outages.

The Indian Navy on January 27 doused the fire on Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker Marlin Luanda. The vessel was struck by a Houthi anti-ship missile in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Navy responded quickly. According to Reuters, the tanker was on fire but no deaths or injuries were reported after the vessel was hit. Indian Navy’s guided missile destroyer INS Visakhapatnam deployed in Gulf of Aden responded to the distress call. The vessel had 22 Indian and 1 Bangladeshi crew onboard. Based on request, the firefighting team comprising 10 Indian Naval personnel embarked the vessel in early hours. Notably, Yemen’s Houthi militants have launched waves of exploding drones and missiles at vessels post Israel’s attack in Gaza.