Cyclonic storm Fengal will cross the coast of North Tamil Nadu and Puducherry between Karaikal and Mahabalipuram near Puducherry today i.e. evening of 30 November at a speed of 70-80 km per hour. Meanwhile, heavy rains continue in most parts of Tamil Nadu.
Chennai International Airport has been temporarily closed till 7 pm on Saturday due to bad weather. Whereas Indigo Airlines has diverted all the flights coming to Chennai. Due to heavy rains, holidays have been declared in schools in nine districts of Tamil Nadu. Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea.
Security increased on beaches
The administration has also increased security along the Puducherry coast. Puducherry Senior Superintendent of Police Kalaivanan visited the beaches and coastal roads of the area. People in Tamil Nadu have been advised not to visit beaches including Marina Beach, Pattinapakkam and Edward Elliot Beach in Chennai.
Tourist places in Puducherry have been closed as a precautionary measure due to Cyclone Fengal. 300 police personnel have been deployed in coastal areas in Puducherry. According to IMD, there was moderate rain in Puducherry on Saturday morning. Heavy rains and strong winds continue in Marakkanam, Viluppuram, Tamil Nadu. Trees have been uprooted in Besant Nagar area of Chennai.
Roads submerged in Chennai
Roads have been submerged due to heavy rains in Chennai. People are struggling with waterlogging in many areas. There is knee-deep waterlogging in New Washermanpet, Gemini Flyover and Mount Road areas. Due to the storm, the weather has changed in the coastal areas due to rain and strong winds. Chennai received continuous heavy to moderate rain from Friday night till this morning. According to the IMD, Cyclone ‘Fangal’ first moved west-northwestwards over the south-west Bay of Bengal and is expected to cross the coasts of North Tamil Nadu and Puducherry by this evening.
Red alert issued in many areas
The IMD said the weather department is continuously monitoring Cyclone Fengal through satellite observations along with Chennai, Sriharikota and Chennai Doppler weather radars. According to the IMD, the cyclone will hit coastal areas of northern Tamil Nadu this evening and a red alert has been issued in various parts of the southern states, including the southern Andhra Pradesh coast.
