E-Paper
Deep depression likely to turn into cyclone, red alert in 3 TN distts: IMD
CM held a meeting with minister for revenue and disaster management KKSSR Ramachandran, chief secretary N Muruganandam and district collectors to review precautionary steps
A depression over the Bay of Bengal intensified into a deep depression by Tuesday noon bringing heavy rains to Chennai and putting three other districts in Tamil Nadu on red alert. The weather system will intensify into a cyclone on Wednesday, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
“Thereafter, it will continue to move towards the Tamil Nadu coast skirting Sri Lanka during the subsequent two days,” the IMD said.
The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) in Chennai on Tuesday said that the conditions were likely that the deep depression will develop into a cyclone. “We are yet to predict where the cyclone will make its landfall,” said S Balachandran, head, RMC. “As per the present situation, it is expected to make a landfall about 150 km to 200 km near the Tamil Nadu coast.”
Chief minister MK Stalin held a meeting at the secretariat with minister for revenue and disaster management, KKSSR Ramachandran, chief secretary N Muruganandam and district collectors to review the precautionary measures. Two teams, one from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the other from the Tamil Nadu State Disaster Response Force (TNSDRF) were sent to the state’s delta districts of Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam and Tiruvarur where a red alert was issued, a government statement said.
“These districts may receive heavy rainfall of more than 20 cm on Wednesday,” the state said, adding that the government has readied 1,634 relief camps in districts where heavy rains have been forecast. No one has been required to be moved into relief shelters yet. More than 2,000 boats that went to sea have returned, it added.
An orange alert was issued to Chennai, its adjoining districts of Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu, and four other districts. A yellow alert was issued to four districts, including Kallakurichi and Thoothukudi. In total, seven teams from NDRF and TNSDRF have been stationed in Chennai. The city witnessed heavy waterlogging in arterial roads such as Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR), which is Chennai’s IT corridor, and in interior roads. Close to a 1,000 high-powered pumps have been readied in the city to drain out rain water.
The deep depression was 770 km south-southeast of Chennai, the IMD said as of 5.30pm on Tuesday. Winds gusting up to 60 kmph have been forecast for coastal Tamil Nadu.
Till 5.30pm on Tuesday, the highest rainfall in the districts of Nagapattinam was recorded at 127mm, followed by 67mm at Cuddalore, according to the RMC.
Chennai’s Meenambakkam weather station recorded 46mm rainfall. Temperatures also dipped with Chennai reporting 26 degrees Celsius. The highest temperature recorded in Tamil Nadu was in Coimbatore district at 28 degrees Celsius, as per RMC.
