Story

Cyclone Nivar: Heavy rains in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry; severe cyclone weakens

Cyclone Nivar updates: "Very severe cyclonic storm 'Nivar' weakened and lay as a severe cyclonic storm with wind speed of 100-110 kmph gusting to 120 kmph at 2.30 pm of November 26," IMD tweeted around 4 am

Chennai airport has also resumed operations 12 hours after it was closed

After making a landfall near Puducherry amid heavy rains on Wednesday night, the severe cyclone Nivar has weakened, according to the latest India Meteorological Department bulletin. The IMD said Cyclone Nivar lay centered over north coastal Tamil Nadu, about 60km north-northwest of Puducherry. The department has predicted rainfall in Nagapatnam, Karaikal, Cuddalore, Puducherry and chennai. It said 'Nivar' will move northwest wards and weaken into a cyclonic storm in the next 3 hours.

"Very severe cyclonic storm 'Nivar' weakened and lay as a severe cyclonic storm with wind speed of 100-110 kmph gusting to 120 kmph at 2.30 pm of November 26," IMD tweeted around 4 am.

The Chennai airport has also resumed operations after it was closed for 12 hours. In the wake of Cyclone Nivar, over 40 scheduled domestic flights and 38 domestic flights (scheduled to arrive) were cancelled.

In its Wednesday night bulletin, the IMD said the Cyclone Nivar will cross the coast near Puducherry with wind speed of 120-130 kmph gusting to 145 kmph. Authorities in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry had taken a slew of measures to handle the situation arising out of the cyclonic storm, which has caused heavy rainfall in several regions. The governments took over 1 lakh people to safe locations. As a precautionary measure, power supply was also cut in several vulnerable areas.

A two-day red alert was issued for the delta districts (where heavy rainfall of over 20 cm is expected) on November 24 and 25. An orange alert was also sounded in Chennai, Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Perambalur, Pudukottai, Cuddalore and the Villupuram districts. After cyclone Gaja in 2018, this was the second cyclone to cross Tamil Nadu in the past two years. Locally, temporary houses and huts suffered the most damage.

While northern districts of Tamil Nadu faced maximum hazard, coastal Andhra Pradesh; Nellore and Chittoor districts of Rayalaseema, Telangana; and south interior of Karnataka will also receive rainfall today. Southern Chhattisgarh and Odisha, too, will bear the brunt of the cyclone, with rainfall activity projected on November 26 and November 27.

Youtube