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TN on alert as cyclonic storm intensifies, govt declares school holiday in 6 districts
District authorities have announced a holiday for schools in Chennai, Cuddalore, Villupuram, Kancheepuram, Thiruvallur and Vellore on December 9 due to the cyclonic storm, which is expected to turn into a deep depression by December 10
intensified into a severe cyclonic storm about 440 km southeast of Chennai, 250 km northeast of Trincomalee (Sri Lanka), 320 km east-northeast of Jaffna (Sri Lanka) and 350 km east-southeast of Karaikal (Puducherry), the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said issuing an organe alert.
“It is very likely to maintain its intensity of Severe Cyclonic Storm till early morning of December 9 and then weaken gradually into a cyclonic storm by forenoon of December 9. It would continue to move west-northwestwards and cross north Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and adjoining south Andhra Pradesh coasts between Puducherry and Sriharikota, around Mahabalipuram as a cyclonic storm with a maximum sustained wind speed of 65-75 kmph gusting to 85 kmph around midnight of 9th December,” the IMD said in a bulletin.
District authorities have announced a holiday for schools in Chennai, Cuddalore, Villupuram, Kancheepuram, Thiruvallur and Vellore on December 9 due to the cyclonic storm, which is expected to turn into a deep depression by December 10.
S Balachandran, director of the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) in Chennai, earlier said, “As of now, tomorrow night (December 9), the cyclone is likely to cross the coast as a cyclone between Puducherry and Sriharikota,” said
On December 7, the deep depression over the southeast and adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal moved nearly west-northwestwards and intensified into a cyclonic storm “Mandous” over the southwest Bay of Bengal, around 11.30 pm, according to IMD.
The IMD on Thursday also issued a storm surge warning. “The storm surge of about 0.5 m height above the astronomical tide is likely to inundate low-lying areas of north coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry during the time of landfall,” it said in a statement.
Tamil Nadu’s chief secretary, Irai Anbu, chaired a meeting on Thursday to assess preparedness for the cyclonic storm and instructed all district authorities to evacuate people from low-lying areas and ensure an uninterrupted supply of essential commodities, the government said.
“A total of 5000 relief camps across the state have been prepared to relocate people from low-lying areas. Personnel from the highways, water resources, electricity board, and fire services departments have been asked to be ready to be on the field for rescue and relief operations,” the government stated.
“This is besides the 400 personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) that have been deputed to districts of Chennai, Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Cuddalore, Mayiladuthurai, Thiruvallur, Kanchipuram, Chengalpattu and Villupuram.”
Anticipating tree falls due to strong winds, the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has readied 272 tree cutters, vehicle-mounted and hydraulic tree cutters and a JCB per area to remove fallen trees.
A total of 805 motor pumps have been kept in flood-prone areas, while ten personnel will be on standby in each of Chennai wards for emergencies and 169 relief camps have been opened for people from low-lying areas to be evacuated, officials said.
