Chennai, Nov 30 (UNI) The Cyclone Fengal over the Bay moved closer to the North
Tamil Nadu coast and was centred about 100 km from Chennai and is expected to
make a landfall on Saturday evening, even as Met office forecast extremely heavy
rains for the city and its adjoining districts.
In the latest Red Message update for North Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and adjoining
south Andhra Pradesh coasts, Met office said the Cyclonic Storm Fengal (pronounced
as FEINJAL) over Southwest Bay of Bengal moved west-northwestwards with a speed
of 10 kmph during past 6 hours.
It lay centred at 1130 hours today over the same region about 100 km east-northeast
of Puducherry, 100 km southeast of Chennai, 190 km north-northeast of Nagappattinam
and 420 km north of Trincomalee in Sri Lanka.
It is likely to move nearly westwards and cross north Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts
between Karaikal and Mahabalipuram close to Puducherry as a cyclonic storm with
a wind speed of 70-80 kmph gusting to 90 kmph during evening of 30th November.
There is a possibility of slow movement of the system while approaching the coasts.
The system is being continuously monitored.
Meanwhile, rains abated in Chennai city, which was battered by heavy showers, for the
last couple of hours.
Met Office Director S Balachandran told reporters due to distribution of clouds, the city
and the suburbs were witnessing on and off rains.
"If there is dense and thick cloud over, the rains will be continuous. Since the clouds
are distributed, there has been a break in showers", he said, adding, however, extremely
heavy rains are likely for Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu, Villuppuram,
Cuddalore and other districts once the systems moved closer to the coast.
He also said heavy rains are likely in Cauvery delta regions and other North Coastal
districts of the State.
He said the city and suburbs received rains in excess of 7 to 8 cms, with the Northern
suburb of Ennore recording the highest rainfall of 13 cm from today morning till 3.00 pm.
The Chennai city received about 7 cms of rain since this morning.
The rains will continue as it will take a few hours for the Cyclonic Storm to cross the
coast.
The heavy rains since early this morning, inundated several low lying areas and crippled
normal life in the city.
Several suburban areas too came under thick sheet of waters.
Chief Minister M K Stalin and Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin reviewed the
Cyclone preparedness at the Modern Control Centre, interacted with the district
collectors, which were battered by heavy rains and advised them to speed up relief
and rehabilitation works.
They also said that relief camps were operational in all the districts where food and other
basic amenities are provided. NDRF and SDRF teams are also stationed in the districts
for rescue and relief works.
So far there were no major damages reported from any district and the government is
fully geared up to tackle the situation.
UNI GV 1545