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Cyclone Nivar: Extremely heavy rains to lash Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, says weather bureau
Cyclone Nivar is currently stationed at 300km southeast of Chennai, 250km east and southeast of Puducherry and 240km from Cuddalore, according to the latest update from RMC.
The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) in Chennai said on Wednesday the severe cyclonic storm Nivar will further intensify into a very severe cyclonic storm bringing extremely heavy rains in several districts of Tamil Nadu as well as Puducherry. The storm will also move towards west and northwest direction during the night on Wednesday and is expected to make landfall near Puducherry.
Cyclone Nivar is currently stationed at 300km southeast of Chennai, 250km east and southeast of Puducherry and 240km from Cuddalore, according to the latest update from RMC. Wind speeds in the range of 120kmph to 130kmph with maximum speed reaching 145kmph are expected in the coastal areas of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Cuddalore, Chennai, Kanchipuram, Chengalpattu, Mayiladuthurai, Ariyalur, Perambalur, Kallakurichi, Villupuram, Tiruvannamalai districts in Tamil Nadu and Karaikal, Puducherry regions will receive extremely heavy rainfall with thunderstorms on Wednesday. Heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected in some places in these districts. Tiruvallur, Ranipet, Vellore, Krishnagiri, Tirupattur, Dharmapuri, Salem and Trichy districts are expected to receive heavy rainfalls during the day.
Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has announced that 1000 cusecs of water has been released from the Chembarambakkam lake, one of the main water reservoirs in Chennai, as a precaution to prevent breaching. Moreover, GCC has also set up 169 relief centres in Chennai to aid people residing in low lying areas.
Apart from Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, severe cyclone Nivar is also expected to cause rainfalls in coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema districts as per reports by India Meteorological Department (IMD). RMC Chennai has also forecast scattered rainfall in some places in Telangana district.
Satya Pradhan, the director general of the National Disaster Response Force, has said that NDRF teams have been helping in alerting communities and evacuating people to safety in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
GCC has set up the following helpline numbers for emergencies in Chennai:
044 2538 4530
044 2538 4530
044 2538 4540
1913 (24*7)
