Cyclone Fengal begins landfall near Puducherry-Tamil Nadu Coasts

Commuters wade through a waterlogged road in Chennai on Saturday, following heavy showers caused by Cyclone Fengal. Pic/PTI

The India Meteorological Department (IMD), in its latest update on Cyclone Fengal, said that the cyclonic storm has moved west-southwestwards with a speed of 10 kmph during the past six hours and lay centred at 9.30 pm on Saturday over the southwest Bay of Bengal close to North Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts. It is positioned 50 km south-southwest of Mahabalipuram, 30 km northeast of Puducherry and 90 km south-southwest of Chennai.

The cyclonic storm is likely to move west-southwestwards and cross north the Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts between Karaikal and Mahabalipuram close to Puducherry with a wind speed of 70-80 kmph gusting to 90 kmph during the next two hours. The landfall process will continue during the same period, IMD said.

As a precautionary measure, the Chennai Airport on Friday announced the suspension of its operations till 4 am on Sunday following the inundation of runways after heavy rains and the 'adverse weather condition' owing to Cyclone Fengal. More than 50 flights have been cancelled as a result, leaving thousands of passengers stranded at airports in Chennai and neighbouring states.

Official sources in Chennai told ANI that apart from the cancellation of 55 flights, 19 others were diverted after two runways and the taxiway were inundated following heavy rains. The services include both domestic and international flights. Earlier in the day, when the airport was operational, at least 12 flights were delayed.

As many as 20 flights were cancelled in Hyderabad as well which were services to and from Chennai and Tirupati.

Meanwhile, IMD has predicted light to moderate rainfall or thundershowers at many places over south coastal and Rayalaseema regions while extremely heavy rains are expected at one or two places over SPSR-Nellore, Tirupati and Chittoor districts of Andhra Pradesh on Saturday.

Earlier in the day, Puducherry also experienced heavy rains on Saturday, prompting the Union Territory administration to send SMS alerts to around 12 lakh residents cautioning them to remain vigilant in view of Cyclone Fengal. Chief Minister N Rangasamy visited the rain-affected areas to review the steps taken by the Disaster Management department, especially in accommodating those evacuated from low-lying areas into relief centres.

(With PTI and ANI inputs)