Cyclone Michaung: Heavy Rains In Chennai Today
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted that the Chennai city and its neighbouring districts would experience extremely heavy rain in the next 24 hours. Flight operations at Chennai airport have been affected due to the heavy rains in Chennai and gusty wind. Several flights were cancelled and some others diverted.
The expected landfall of Cyclone Michaung in Southern Andhra Pradesh and the North coast of Tamil Nadu tonight is causing continuous heavy rainfall and strong winds in various parts of Chennai. The substantial precipitation has led to significant waterlogging in specific areas. Due to the heavy rains and waterlogging, suburban train services in all Chennai Suburban sections were temporarily halted until 8 am on Monday morning.
On Monday Six trains that have to cross the bridge starting from Chennai – Mysuru Shatabdi Express, Coimbatore Kovai Express, Coimbatore Shatabdi Express, KSR Bengaluru AC Double Decker Express, KSR Bengaluru Brindavan Express, Tirupati Sapthagiri Express are cancelled due to heavy rains in Chennai.
Cyclone Michaung: Power supply has been suspended for most part of the city as a precautionary measure as requested by fire and rescue officials as well as local councillors, say Tangedco officials. Most IT companies and employee is impacted due to this.
Addressing the people of Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister MK Stalin urged them to stay indoors until the storm abates. The Chief Minister personally inspected the Control room to assess the readiness for dealing with the cyclone.
The severe cyclonic storm lies at 90km east-northeast of #Chennai. It is likely to move northwards and cross the coast between Nellore and Machilipatnam near Bapatla on December 5 forenoon, says IMD.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has cautioned countrymen amid the approaching ‘Cyclone Michaung’, saying that he was in constant touch with the governments of states on the eastern coast to coordinate relief and rescue efforts. Speaking at a victory rally at the BJP headquarters in the national capital on Sunday, he also urged BJP workers in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh to join the relief and rescue efforts and support the local administration.
33 flights diverted from Chennai to Bengaluru due to cyclone Michaung impact. 33 flights from Chennai were diverted to Kempegowda International Airport (KIA). According to officials of Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) that operates KIA, both domestic as well as international flights including that of Indigo, SpiceJet, Etihad, Lufthansa and Gulf Air were diverted to the city from Chennai, where many flights have also been cancelled.
There is continuous and simultaneous rains in the core city as well as catchment areas of waterbodies-evenly distributed rainfall across city. Due to the cyclone very close to the sea, the water from the rivers is not getting an easy passage at the estuary points, leading to reverse flow. Only after the water from the rivers goes via the estuaries to the sea, will the water drain via stormwater drains.
Cyclone Michaung intensified into a severe cyclonic storm on Monday and now lies centered over west-central and southwest Bay of Bengal, about 90 km east-northeast of Chennai, 170 km southeast of Nellore, 200 km northeast of Puducherry, 300 km south-southeast of Bapatla and 320 km south of Machilipatnam.
It is likely to move northwards almost parallel and close to the south Andhra Pradesh coast and cross South AP coast between Nellore and Machilipatnam, close to Bapatla during December 5 forenoon as a severe cyclonic storm with a maximum sustained wind speed of 90-100 kmph gusting to 110 kmph.
In the wake of the cyclone, both departure and arrival operations have been suspended at Chennai airport till 11 p.m., said the Airports Authority of India.