Cyclone Nivar weakens into ‘severe’ cyclonic storm, over 1.4 lakh evacuated in Tamil Nadu
The India Meteorological Department said it may now turn into a cyclonic storm.
Cyclone Nivar began its landfall around 11.30 pm on Wednesday and crossed the Puducherry coast before 2.30 am on Thursday. The India Meteorological Department said that after turning into a “very severe” to “severe” cyclonic storm, it will now turn into a cyclonic storm.
Nivar caused heavy rain and strong winds and made the governments of Puducherry and Tamil Nadu declare public holidays. It also disrupted air, train, and railway services.
Tamil Nadu’s Disaster Management Minister RB Udhayakumar said that over 1.45 lakh people have been shifted to 1,516 relief camps across the state as a precaution.
Here are district-wise helpline numbers in Tamil Nadu
Disaster management control room numbers are – 1077, (044)-27237207.
Live updates
7.46 am: Early on Thursday, Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Authority has issued a severe weather warning for the state, reports ANI.
#NivarCycloneUpdate: Tamil Nadu State Disaster Mgmt Authority issues severe weather warning for the state.
— ANI (@ANI) November 25, 2020
Severe thunderstorm with heavy rain likely to occur over Thiruvannamalai, Cuddalore, Kallakurichy & Viluppuram districts of Tamil Nadu & Puducherry area within next 3 hrs. pic.twitter.com/K7pCNoUItg
7.30 am: Rainfall continues in Puducherry on Thursday morning, reports ANI.
#Puducherry continues to receive rainfall #CycloneNivar to move northwestwards and weaken further into a cyclonic storm during the next 3 hours, says India Meteorological Department (IMD) pic.twitter.com/xC3SUsn0Ro
— ANI (@ANI) November 26, 2020
7.15 am: Cuddalore records the highest rainfall at 24.6 cm after Puducherry, which has received 23.7 cm. Chennai has recorded 8.9 cm rain. This was between 8.30 am on Wednesday and 2.30 am on Thursday, according to The Indian Express.
7.10 am: Status of the cyclonic storm as shown in a graphic by the weather department.
VERY SEVERE CYCLONIC STORM NIVAR
— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) November 26, 2020
REALISED RAINFALL (MM) DURING 08:30 HOURS IST OF 25TH NOV TO
0230 HOURS IST OF 26TH NOVEMBER 2020:
NAGAPATNAM-63, KARAIKAL-86, CUDDALORE-246,
PUDUCHERRY-237 AND CHENNAI-89 pic.twitter.com/Pzo9SfOWGn
7.05 am: “Over 1.45 lakh people have been shifted to 1,516 relief camps across the state as a precaution,” Tamil Nadu’s Disaster Management Minister RB Udhayakumar, tells Reuters.
7 am: The IMD predicts that Cyclone Nivar will move northwest wards and weaken into cyclonic storm during the next three hours.
SEVERE CYCLONIC STORM ‘NIVAR’ WOULD MOVE NORTHWEST WARDS AND WEAKEN FURTHER INTO A CYCLONIC STORM DURING NEXT 03 HOURS.https://t.co/XZd6NinWQK pic.twitter.com/4y5tTIUzBb
— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) November 26, 2020
Here are updates from Wednesday:
- Cyclone Nivar made landfall late into the night, but then downgraded into a “severe” cyclonic storm. The wind speed is expected to be between 120 kmph and 130 kmph, it said.
- Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami announced a public holiday in 13 districts of the state for Thursday.
- Operations at the Chennai airport will be stopped from 7 pm on Wednesday to 7 am on Thursday, and metro services too will be suspended by 8 pm.
- The Indian Air Force set up a disaster management unit with 10 helicopters on standby in Puducherry to help rescue teams in relief work in the Union territory and neighbouring Tamil Nadu.
- The National Disaster Response Force deployed 30 teams on the ground in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Andhra Pradesh as the cyclone moved ahead from the Bay of Bengal towards the coastal areas.