Heavy rain likely in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry as cyclone Nada nears

Heavy rainfall is likely in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry as the deep depression over the Bay of Bengal has turned into a cyclonic storm “Nada”, which is expected to cross Cuddalore coast on Friday.

“Yesterday’s (Tuesday) deep depression over the southeast Bay of Bengal has moved northwestwards and has intensified into a cyclonic storm “Nada” over the southwest Bay of Bengal and lays centred about 770 km southeast of Chennai.

The system is likely to move west-northwards,” a senior official of the Regional Meteorological Centre here told DH on Wednesday.

 According to him, this is the first cyclone after the commencement of the northeast monsoon in the first week of October, and the landfall is expected near the north Tamil Nadu coast between Vedaranniyam and Chennai, close to Cuddalore district by the early hours on December 2.

The MeT official said heavy rain would occur at coastal areas in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry from Wednesday night.

Squally winds, with speeds reaching 45-55 kmph and gusting to 65 kmph would prevail along and off the coasts in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry  from Thursday morning.

In view of the cyclone, the Tamil Nadu government said that district collectors have been alerted to take all precautionary measures and necessary actions to evacuate people from low-lying and vulnerable areas to relief centres.