LIVE | Cyclone Fengal begins landfall; Chennai airport halts ops till 4 am Sunday
Parts of Chennai and other regions of Tamil Nadu waterlogged as Cyclone Fengal brings heavy rain; one dead
Cyclone Fengal started making landfall close to Puducherry around 5.30 pm on Saturday (November 30), and it may take about four hours for it to cross the coast completely, according to an India Meteorological Department (IMD) official.
Early in the day, Puducherry officials asked residents to stay indoors in view of the landfall.
In Tamil Nadu, heavy rains accompanied by gusty winds pounded several northern parts of the state, affecting normalcy. Chennai airport has been closed till 4 am on Sunday.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin reviewed the situation at the State Emergency Operations Centre in Chennai.
All schools and colleges in Puducherry remained closed on Saturday in view of the storm with wind speeds up to 90 kmph.
Also read: Cyclone Fengal: Tamil Nadu, Puducherry brace for very heavy rain
The Tamil Nadu Department of Revenue and Disaster Management has set up toll-free numbers 112 and 1077 to receive distress calls from the public. People can also seek help through the WhatsApp number 9488981070.
Complying with an advisory, 4,153 boats returned to the shore and 2,229 relief camps are ready for use if needed, the state government said early in the day.
Boats, generators, motor pumps and all other necessary machinery and equipment were ready and NDRF and state teams were deployed wherever needed, including Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai, Tiruvarur, Cuddalore, Thanjavur, Chengelpet and Chennai.
Senior officials assigned to supervise and coordinate related tasks with district authorities were stationed in their respective districts.
Stayed tuned to this page for all the live updates about Cyclone Fengal
Live Updates
- 30 Nov 2024 9:00 AM IST
Heavy rains in several parts of northern Tamil Nadu
Heavy rains accompanied by gusty winds pounded several parts of northern Tamil Nadu on Saturday, affecting normalcy, as cyclonic storm Fengal, expected to make landfall near Puducherry later in the day, continued moving towards the coast.
What began as intermittent rainfall in coastal regions on the night of November 29, gradually became steady leading to water logging in several areas and many residents of low-lying Madipakkam parked their vehicles on both sides of nearby Velachery flyover.
Residents of similar vulnerable areas too parked their vehicles in safe areas. Roads were largely deserted and civic workers, police, and fire and rescue personnel were deployed in all vulnerable places.
Departure and arrival schedule of flights were affected to some extent. Chennai Metro Rail said its services were operational without any glitches and informed public of parking areas in specific stations that were prone to inundation. State-run transport corporations operated skeleton services in Chennai and nearby areas.
As the sea was pretty rough, police put up barricades blocking access to noted beaches including the Marina and Mamallapuram. State-run Aavin milk supply was not affected and power supply continued to be normal in most areas.
The government had already declared November 30 a holiday for educational institutions and requested IT firms to make their employees work from home.
