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Cyclone Michaung: 2 killed, flights diverted, schools shut as rain lashes Chennai
The cyclone was 110 km from Chennai and expected to make landfall between Andhra Pradesh’s Nellore and Machilipatnam on Tuesday with maximum sustained winds of 90-100 km per hour
Two people were killed when an under-construction wall collapsed in Chennai while at least 10 international flights were diverted to Bengaluru as heavy rains forced the closure of courts, schools, government offices, and banks in Tamil Nadu’s capital and adjoining districts. More rain was expected as Cyclone Michaung was due to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm by forenoon on Monday, said Regional Meteorological Centre (Chennai) director S Balachandran.
The cyclone was 110 km from Chennai and expected to make landfall between Andhra Pradesh’s Nellore and Machilipatnam on Tuesday with maximum sustained winds of 90-100 km per hour gusting to 110 km per hour.
Chennai’s Meenambakkam recorded a rainfall of 25 cm over 24 hours that ended at to 8.30am on Monday. New agency ANI reported that two people died when the wall collapsed on Chennai’s East Coast Road.
Residents of Chennai’s Guduvancherry suburb moved to higher ground. Mugger crocodiles came out of water bodies in the city following overnight rains. Officials urged people against provoking them.
People living in low-lying areas across Tamil Nadu were earlier evacuated to relief shelters as 10 teams of the National Disaster Response Force and State Disaster Response Force were carrying out relief and rescue operations.
Heavy rainfall was also reported from Tamil Nadu’s Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Nagapattinam, Cuddalore, and Thiruvallur due to the impact of the cyclone.
In its bulletin on Monday morning, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the cyclone moved northwards and was over the Southwest and Westcentral Bay of Bengal off South Andhra Pradesh and adjoining North Tamil Nadu at 5:30am.
IMD said heavy rainfall and thunderstorms were expected in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry on Monday. On Sunday, the IMD said a deep depression over the Southwest Bay of Bengal intensified into cyclonic storm Michaung.
