A red alert has been issued by the India Meteorological Department for Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, as Cyclonic Storm Fengal is scheduled to hit the coastal areas near Puducherry on Saturday afternoon. Forming over the Bay of Bengal, the storm will be associated with very heavy rainfalls and winds gusting up to 90 kmph.
A pre-emptive measure to this effect has been followed by closing schools and colleges in various districts. Services on public transport have also been suspended in many areas, so that people do not venture out during the period when the storm is at its peak intensity.
IMD's Forecast and Affected Areas
IMD has forecasted extremely heavy rain in Chennai, Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Villuppuram, Kallakurichi, Cuddalore districts and Puducherry. Some scattered heavy rainfall is also predicted over Ranipet, Tiruvannamalai, Vellore and Nagapattinam.
Storm Path
The storm lies about 210 km southeast of Chennai near latitude 11.8°N and longitude 81.7°E. The cyclonic storm is likely to cross the Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coast near Karaikal and Mahabalipuram with winds ranging from 70-90 kmph.
Disruption in Air Travel and Coastal Roads
All IndiGo Airlines flights at Chennai Airport stand cancelled due to adverse weather conditions. The authorities mentioned that flight operations would resume once weather conditions stabilize, thus ensuring the safety of passengers and crew members.
Major roads such as East Coast Road (ECR) and Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR) have been closed to vehicular movement as a precautionary measure to prevent damage from strong winds and heavy rain. IT companies have also been advised to encourage employees to work from home to avoid traveling during the storm.
Relief camps have been set up
The Tamil Nadu Revenue and Disaster Management Department has put up relief camps in all the 2,229 across the state to help people who were dislodged by the storm. Critical equipment like motor pumps, generators, and boats were deployed in the flood-prone areas such as Chennai, Cuddalore, and Nagapattinam.
Fishermen Warnings
Fishermen have been instructed not to go into sea as the condition is getting rough. Police personnel are on a vigil along with NDRF in all beaches and low-lying areas, ensuring the residents there do not get hurt.
Increased Alertness
Nearly 300 police officers have been deployed to beaches here, and further measures to evacuate residents from the prone areas have been taken. There already are relief camps in the region accommodating 471 people from 164 families so that they do not remain in danger.
Tamil Nadu and Puducherry authorities are now alert since the landfall is likely. Priority is being given to safety and preparedness in reducing the impact of the storm.
With inputs from agencies
Image Source: Multiple agencies
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