Chennai, Nov 25 (UNI) Heavy rains accompanied by strong winds
continued to batter Chennai and its suburbs, as the severe cyclonic
storm 'Nivar' intensified into a very severe cyclonic storm on
Wednesday evening.
A bulletin issued by the Met office with 'Red Message' for Tamil Nadu
and Puducherry coasts, said the severe cyclonic storm over southwest
Bay of Bengal moved west northwestwards with a speed of 16 kmph
during the past six hours, intensified into a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm
and lay centred over southwest Bay of Bengal about 90 km east-south
east of Cuddalore, about 150 km east southeast of Puducherry and
220 km south southeast of Chennai.
It is very likely to move northwestwards and cross Tamil Nadu and
Puducherry coasts between Karaikal and Mamallapuram around
Puducherry during midnight tonight and early hours of tomorrow
as a very severe cyclonic storm with wind speed of 120-130 kmph
gusting to 145 kmph.
The Cyclone is being monitored by Doppler Weather Radar at
Chennai, Karaikal and Sriharikota.
In a related development, the state government announced a public
holiday for 16 districts tomorrow in view of the cyclone.
The Chennai police also closed Marina Beach and the Kamarajar
Salai on the beach front and all coastal roads, including the ECR,
OMR and Ennore expressway as the cyclone is all set to make a
land fall.
Some of the arterial roads in the city were also closed as a
precautionary measures, police sources told UNI.
As the rains continued unabated, Chembarambakkam lake, one of
the four main drinking water resources for Chennai city, is fast filling
up and surplus waters were released as the level rose to 22 ft as
against its full capacity of 24 ft.
The sluice gates were opened after a gap of five years.
As authorities have issued flood warning to those living in low lying
areas along the Adyar river, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami
visited the lake and reviewed the situation, amid pouring rains, and
also allayed fears of the people, as the December 2015 floods were
fresh in their memory.
Later, the outflow from the reservoir was stepped up to 3,000 cusecs
and people in low-lying areas were asked to move to relief centres.
MORE UNI GV 1752