Tamil Nadu, which saw cyclone Nivar just last week, is preparing for heavy rains once again after India Meteorological Department (IMD) sounded another cyclone alert for the state and Kerala.
A deep depression over southwest and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal lay centred on Tuesday which is very likely to intensify further into a cyclonic storm during the next 24 hours, the IMD said. It is very likely to move west-northwestwards and cross Sri Lanka coast close to Trincomalee between evening and night of December 2, emerge into Gulf of Mannar and adjoining Comorin area on 3 December morning and move westward towards south Tamil Nadu coast. The system lay about 900 km southeast of Kanniyakumari as of 12noon Tuesday. The maximum wind speed during the storm will be 70-80 kmph gusting to 90 kmph.
Also read | Red, orange alerts for 5 Kerala districts; warning of very heavy rains in parts of south India
Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi Palaniswami chaired a high-level inter-departmental meeting on Tuesday and appealed to people to remain indoors unless necessary until December 4. “We are monitoring the path of the cyclone and all precautionary measures have been taken,” said minister for disaster and revenue management R B Udayakumar. Relief camps are being readied and first responders are being deployed to affected districts, he added.
{{/usCountry}}Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi Palaniswami chaired a high-level inter-departmental meeting on Tuesday and appealed to people to remain indoors unless necessary until December 4. “We are monitoring the path of the cyclone and all precautionary measures have been taken,” said minister for disaster and revenue management R B Udayakumar. Relief camps are being readied and first responders are being deployed to affected districts, he added.
{{/usCountry}}Heavy to very heavy rainfall has been forecast for December 2 and 3 in Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Tenkasi, Ramanathapuram and Sivagangai districts. Total suspension of fishing operations between Tuesday and 4 December have been announced.