Cyclone Michaung highlights: Michaung not severe, weakens to Cyclonic storm, IMD says

Chennai Police Commissioner Sandeep Rai Rathore provided a helping hand in relief measures in Chennai. Rathore distributed relief materials to the people affected.

Cyclone Michaung flooded parts of Andhra Pradesh. Due to heavy rainfall, residential areas got filled with floodwaters, causing grave hardships to the people.

Here is how NDRF personnel are helping people of Tamil Nadu who have been affected due to floods caused by Cyclone Michaung.

Congress’ Mavelikkara MP Kodikunnil Suresh said the Centre must provide all the assistance to Tamil Nadu.

“The Central government should give all the assistance for tackling the cyclone issue in Tamil Nadu. Chennai is worst affected,” he said, adding, “I would appeal to the Centre, especially Home Minister (Amit Shah) to provide all assistance to the state of Tamil Nadu to tackle this cyclone."

IMD said in its latest update, “Severe Cyclonic Storm MICHAUNG weakened into a Cyclonic Storm at 1530hrs IST, lay centered at 1730hrs IST of 5 December over south Coastal Andhra Pradesh about 25km west-northwest of Bapatla and 60 km north-northeast of Ongole. Likely to move nearly northwards & weaken further.”

DMK MP Kanimozhi said that the Tamil Nadu government is much more prepared to deal with heavy rain triggered by cyclone Michaung than in 2015.

"In the last two days, we had more than 33 centimetres of rainfall which is much more than what we had in 2015, but the government was prepared. Many people have been evacuated and moved to shelters," the MP told news agency ANI.

Raipur city and parts of Chhattisgarh received light rain due to cyclone Michaung bringing down the temperature, the Met department said.

Here is a video of IAF dropping relief supplies in the general area of Adyar and close to Harbour.

Check out how NDRF workers are rescuing the victims of floods caused by Cyclone Michaung.

Southern Railway has annnounced that Chennai beach - Tambaram - Arakkonam, MRTS services have been restored after Cyclone Michaung.

Cyclone Michaung made landfall in Nellore in Andhra Pradesh. As a result of the cyclone, several people have lost their lives. Areas in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry have been submerged.

On Tuesday, State-run NLC India said that it has sent high-capacity pumps used in lignite mines to pump out water from inundated areas in Chennai.

"To supplement the efforts of Chennai Corporation, yesterday NLC India Ltd has come forward to lend a helping hand by sending 16 numbers of giant high capacity pumps which are used in NLC lignite Mines," the PSU said in a statement.

The airfield area of Chennai airport opened on Tuesday and airlines and other stakeholders were intimated for planning their operations, according to a report by PTI citing airport officials.

On Tuesday, two IAF Chetak helicopters dropped relief supplies in the general area of Adyar and close to Chennai Harbour. The supplies included food packets and rations for victims stuck in cyclone-hit areas in Chennai.

TDP chief and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday criticised the State Government and said that it has "miserably failed" in providing shelter, food and water to cyclone Michaung victims.

"The Government is not prepared to prevent the damage caused by the cyclone and did not even extend any kind of assistance to the flood-hit," Chandrababu said in a press note.

Heavy rains due to Cyclone Michaung, has resulted in flooding in Chennai. Many areas in the city are submerged due to the flood water.

Amid heavy rains caused by Cyclone Michaung, 200 table tennis players in the age group of U-11 to U-19 are stuck in Vijayawada along with their family members, reported PTI.

Tamil Nadu government has sought an interim Central assistance of ₹5000 crore to provide relief to people and redevelop infrastructure damaged by heavy rains as a result of Cyclone Michaung.

"I urge the Union government (that) considering the condition of Tamil Nadu and five districts, kindly release ₹5,000 crore as initial interim relief which would help the State government in their efforts to safeguard the people of Tamil Nadu," said Tiruchi Siva, DMK leader.

Tamil Nadu government has claimed that 80 per cent of power supply and 70 per cent of mobile networks have already been restored in Chennai amid heavy rains caused by Cyclone Michaung.

29 NDRF teams have been deployed in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Puducherry to undertake relief and rescue operations in the wake of the severe cyclonic storm Michaung, reported PTI.

"Our focus is on Andhra Pradesh as the cyclone will make landfall there and a number of trees, poles and other infrastructure could be uprooted, leading to blockage of communication and power lines," a senior official said.

India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday said the landfall process of Cyclone Michuang is completed. Michaung wreaked havoc in the southern states of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. It also took the lives of 12 people in the southern city of Chennai.

Rescue personnel on Tuesday evacuated people in the Krishna Nagar area of Chennai with the help of boats. The regions were inundated due to heavy rainfall owing to Cyclone Michaung.

Speaking about Cyclone Michaung IMD scientist HR Biswas said that the storm is likely to weaken in the next few hours. Severe cyclonic storm Michaung made landfall earlier in the day on the Andhra Pradesh coast.