Tamil Nadu on ’high alert’ as Cyclone Michaung intensifies, 118 trains cancelled

mangaloretoday.com

Chennai, Dec 02, 2023: Coastal districts of northern Tamil Nadu and southern Andhra Pradesh are bracing for heavy rains as the deep depression over the Southwest Bay of Bengal is expected to intensify into a Cyclonic Storm ’Michaung’ in the next 24 hours, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Saturday.

 

The cyclonic formation, according to the IMD, was lying over about 440 km east-southeast of Puducherry and 420 km southeast of Chennai.

The deep depression is “likely to move west-northwestwards and intensify into a Cyclonic Storm over the Southwest Bay of Bengal during the next 24 hours. Thereafter, it would move northwestwards and reach west-central Bay of Bengal off south Andhra Pradesh and adjoining north Tamil Nadu coasts by Monday forenoon,” the IMD said in its latest forecast.

On December 5, as it will cross the South Andhra Pradesh coast between Nellore and Machilipatnam, Cyclone Michaung is expected to attain its maximum sustained wind speed of 80-90 kmph, gusting to 100 kmph.

The IMD has also stated that damage to properties and vulnerable structures is expected over coastal districts of South Andhra Pradesh and adjoining coastal districts of North Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

RAIN WARNING

North Coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry: Heavy to very heavy rainfall expected in a few places on Sunday. Isolated heavy rainfall is likely on December 4 and decrease thereafter, the IMD said. The state capital, Chennai, is also likely to get heavy rains in coming days.

The Chennai MeT department also issued a rain, thunderstorm and lightning warning for Tamil Nadu and Puducherry for Saturday night.

Coastal Andhra Pradesh: Light to moderate rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy rain likely over south coastal Andhra Pradesh on Sunday. Heavy to very heavy rain with extremely heavy falls at isolated places over coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam on Monday and Tuesday. The state is likely to see isolated heavy rainfall on December 6 as well.

Rayalaseema region may also get light to moderate rainfall in most places with isolated heavy rainfall on Sunday and Monday.

Odisha: Between Monday and Wednesday, isolated heavy rainfall is likely over south coastal and adjoining south interior Odisha.

TAMIL NADU ON HIGH ALERT

As the cyclone Michaung is expected to make landfall in the coastal districts, police and officials across Tamil Nadu have been put on high alert.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has made 18 teams available to Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Puducherry, and 10 additional teams have been kept ready to deal with any unforeseen situation.

Officials have declared a holiday on Monday for schools and colleges in Chennai, Kanchipuram, Chengalpet, and Thiruvallur districts due to the prediction of heavy rains.

Madras University and Anna University have postponed examinations scheduled for Monday in view of the situation.

TRAINS CANCELLED

The Southern Railway has cancelled 118 trains in Tamil Nadu, including long-distance trains in other states between December 3-6.

Some of the trains include Nizamuddin Chennai Duronto Express, Kochuveli – Gorakhpur Raptisagar Express, Gaya Chennai Express, Barauni - Coimbatore Special train, Vijayawada Janshatabdi, Trivandrum Secunderabad Sabari Express, Patna-Ernakulam Super Fast Express, Bengaluru-Howrah Weekly Super Fast Express, Trivandrum-New Delhi Kerala Express, among others.

Courtesy: India Today