Heavy Rain Hits Tamil Nadu, Schools Shut, Cyclone Fengal Inches Closer

The deep depression over the Southwest Bay of Bengal is likely to intensify into Cyclone Fengal in the next 12 hours.

New Delhi:

The deep depression over the Southwest Bay of Bengal is likely to intensify into Cyclone Fengal during the next 12 hours. Parts of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry are bracing for heavy to very heavy rainfall and the possibility of cyclone Fengal, a name proposed by Saudi Arabia. A red alert has been issued in the Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai and Tiruvarur districts. The state government is “ready to face the rain”, said Chief Minister M K Stalin. He requested the public to “be safe while going out”.

“The deep depression over the Southwest Bay of Bengal moved north-northwestwards with a speed of 13 kilometers per hour (kmph) during the past 6 hours and lay centred at 0530 hours IST of today,” said the Indi Meteorological Department (IMD).

“It will continue to move north-northwestwards towards Tamil Nadu coast skirting Sri Lanka coast during subsequent 2 days,” warned IMD.

This is the second cyclone in the post-monsoon season to affect the Indian coast after Cyclone Dana, which crossed Odisha as a ‘severe' category storm in late October.

READ | Cyclone Likely To Hit Tamil Nadu Today, Heavy Rain Lashes Several Parts

How Tamil Nadu Is Gearing Up For The Cyclonic Storm:

1. Rain holiday in schools and colleges: Schools and colleges will remain closed in several regions of Tamil Nadu including Tiruchirappalli district, Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai, Cuddalore, Thanjavur, Villupuram, and Tiruvarur, in anticipation of heavy rains. Puducherry too shuts down schools and colleges today. Schools alone will remain shut in Chennai and Chengalpattu.
2. Advisory for fishermen: Fishermen are advised not to venture into the southwest Bay of Bengal and along and off Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu coasts till November 29. Fishermen out at sea are advised to return to coasts immediately.
3. First response in place: Shelters, boats, JCBs, tree cutters and gen sets are ready in adequate numbers. First responders and volunteers are ready. The government has sent NDRF teams to each district.

Impact Of Heavy Rain In Tamil Nadu:

1. Rains continued overnight in Tamil Nadu's Cauvery delta areas affecting standing paddy crops. Rains submerged crops, partially and completely, at several places including those in and around Tiruvarur, Thiruthuraipoondi, Muthupettai, Mayilduthurai, Vedaranyam and according to farmers' rough estimates, crops over at least 2,000 acres were affected, as reported by news agency PTI.
2. IMD is expecting Localized flooding of roads, water logging in low-lying areas and closure of underpasses mainly in urban areas of the above region. Occasional reduction in visibility due to heavy rainfall is also plausible.
3. IMD foresees traffic disruption in major cities due to water logging in roads leading to increased travel time.