Rains lash several parts of Tamil Nadu, cyclonic storm threatens coastal areas

Chennai: Coastal districts of Tamil Nadu, including the fertile Cauvery Delta region, Chennai, and its neighbouring districts, were drenched with extremely heavy rainfall on Tuesday under the influence of a deep depression in the Bay of Bengal, which is likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm by Wednesday.

If the deep depression turns into a cyclonic storm as predicted, the system will be known as Cyclone Fengal, named by Saudi Arabia, and is likely to cross between Chennai and Puducherry coasts between November 29 and November 30, according to independent weather bloggers.

The entire coastline from Vedaranyam in Nagapattinam to Puducherry, including Mayiladuthurai, Tharangambadi, Thiruvarur, Cuddalore, and Velankanni received extremely heavy rainfall for the whole of Tuesday, even as several areas in Chennai and its neighbouring districts of Tiruvallur, Kanchipuram, and Chengalpattu received heavy rainfall.

Rains in these districts could continue through the week, even as an Yellow Alert (heavy to very heavy rains) was issued for Chennai and its three neighbouring districts from Wednesday to Friday.

Chief Minister M K Stalin held a review meeting with collectors from Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, and Cuddalore districts on Tuesday and asked them to move people living in low-lying areas to safety, while ensuring that JCBs, boats, generators, tree cutters, and pump sets are kept ready.

He also said two teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been dispatched to Thanjavur, while one each has been rushed to the above-mentioned four districts. Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea, while the Chief Minister asked collectors to take precautionary methods to save crops from inundation.

“The depression over Southwest Bay of Bengal intensified into a deep depression today and is likely to transform into a cyclonic storm. We expect the system to be strong,” S Balachandran, Director, Regional Meteorological Centre, Chennai, said. The IMD issued heavy to extremely heavy rainfall alert to several districts of Tamil Nadu, especially in the coastal areas, due to the influence of the deep depression and the intensification of the north-east monsoon.

However, the IMD said the landfall area of the cyclone cannot be predicted at this stage, while a popular independent weather blogger said the Cyclone may cross the Tamil Nadu coast between November 29 and 30.

“Widespread heavy is going to happen all over Coastal Tamil Nadu. Chennai will see rains increase as the system climbs up in the latitude,” Ajith Kumar, who tweets under the handle Chennai Weatherman, said.