No Cyclone Threat But Heavy Rain Slows Chennai

Low pressure area in the Bay of Bengal has intensified into a well marked depression bringing copious rainfall causing inundation of many low lying areas.

The deep depression lay centred 60 km east-southeast of Puducherry and 150 km southeast of Chennai, the IMD bulletin said.

The cyclone will “cross the coast (Bay of Bengal) as depression only” and will make a landfall around noon near Puducherry, say weather officials.

Chennai: Heavy rains lashed Chennai and other parts of Tamil Nadu on Monday. The Revenue and Disaster Management Departments of the territorial administration have been geared up to meet any eventuality in the wake of the impending cyclone.

According to the meteorological department, the sea would be very rough along and off north Tamil Nadu and Puducherry and adjoining Pudukkottai and Ramanathapuram districts of south Tamil Nadu coasts during next 24 hours.

Papanasam and Manimutharu in Tirunelveli district recorded a rainfall of 10 cm each in the 24 hours ending at 8 a.m. on Sunday. Winds reaching up to 65-80 kilometres per hour are expected along the coast from Monday afternoon.

– Under the influence of the cyclonic storm, rainfall is expected in most parts of Tamil Nadu with heavy to very heavy rainfall over north coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry in the next 24-48 hours.

Fishermen were advised not to venture into thesea during the next 48 hours as the sea conditionswould be rough. Due to this heavy rail for safety the government declared holidays to schools and advised to close industries.