AMN
The Depression over the South West Bay of Bengal is observed to be moving north westwards at a speed of 11-km per hour for the past six hours. The MET Department says the weather system is 560 km south east of Chennai and 520 km south east of Puducherry.
It is very likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm in the next 24-hours and assume the name “Nivar”. Subsequently it is set to intensify further into a severe cyclone and cross the coast between Karaikal and Mamallapuram near Chennai Wednesday afternoon. During its landfall, the cyclone is set to trigger the wind speed of 100 to 110 km an hour gushing to 120 km per hour.
The MET Department has said in its latest bulletin, extremely heavy rainfall is likely to occur at isolated places over the Delta region and Ariyalur in Tamil Nadu, and Karaikal in Puducherry tomorrow. Chennai and its adjoining districts and central Tamil Nadu are set to get heavy to very heavy rainfall under the impact of the weather phenomenon.
On Wednesday, the day of the cyclone’s landfall, extremely heavy rainfall is likely to occur at isolated places in eight districts including in the Delta region and the north interior districts in Tamil Nadu and neighbouring Puducherry. Heavy to very heavy rain is expected in 13 other districts including Chennai and its adjoining areas. Isolated heavy rainfall is likely in four of the north western districts.
Fishermen have been asked not to venture into the sea during the period due to rough weather. AIR correspondent reports that the Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary Shanmugam briefed the Union Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba and the members of the National Crisis Management Committee about the preparedness of the government to mitigate the effects of the cyclone. He later spoke to the collectors of all the districts that fall under the vicinity of the cyclone.
Six teams of the NDRF are positioned in Cuddalore district and two in Chennai on standby to assist the district administrations. The southern Railway has either fully or partially cancelled several daily special trains that travel along the route that fall under the vicinity of the cyclone tomorrow and day after tomorrow. Several district collectors have asked the public not to rely on unauthentic social media posts about the monsoon but trust only the reliable sources of news.