The Met on Friday issued a Red alert for several districts
as the Deep Depression intensified into Cyclonic Storm Fengal, promising
extremely heavy rainfall, even as the Tamil Nadu government has put its entire
machinery on high alert.
The system will gather momentum and move towards TN and cross the North
Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts as a Cyclonic Storm tomorrow afternoon.
In a latest updated Red Alert message for North Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and
adjoining South Andhra Pradesh coasts, Met office said the Deep Depression
over Southwest Bay of Bengal moved north-northwestwards with a speed of
13 kmph during the past 6 hours and intensified into a Cyclonic Storm “Fengal”
(pronounced as FEINJAL).
It lay centred at 1430 hours of today, over the same region about 310 km
north-northeast of Trincomalee, 260 km east of Nagappattinam, 270 km
east-southeast of Puducherry and 300 km southeast of Chennai.
It is likely to move west-northwestwards and cross North Tamil Nadu and
Puducherry coasts between Karaikal (Puducherry) and Mahabalipuram,
about 55 km from here, close to Puducherry as a Cyclonic Storm with a
wind speed of 70-80 kmph and gusting to 90 kmph at the time of landfall.
Forecasting extreme and intense rains in excess of 20 cms, the Met office
has issued a Red Alert for several districts, including Delta region today
and for Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kanchipuram, Chengalpattu, Villupuram,
Cuddalore and Kallakurichi districts and also for some other districts
tomorrow.
Heavy rains are also likely in several districts for two days.
The Tamil Nadu government has beefed up its entire machinery and put
them on High Alert and also directed the District Collectors to take all
precautionary measures.
Meanwhile, Chennai city and neighbouring districts and Cauvery delta
region has been receiving incessant rains since last night.
With the formation of the Cyclone, the intensity of the rain is expected
to significantly increase in Chennai and adjoining districts from this
evening.
Thunderstorm accompanied by lightning with rain is very likely at isolated
places over Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kanchipuram, Chengalpattu,Villupuram
Cuddalore, Mayiladuthurai, Tenkasi, Thothukudi and Tirupathur districts
of Tamilnadu.
Cautionary signal No 7 and 6 were hoisted in several ports in TN and
in Puducherry and Karaikal as the Cyclone advanced towards North TN
coast.
