New Delhi: The forward sector of spiral bands associated with the Cyclonic Storm “FENGAL” has entered into the land, the India Meteorological Department stated in its latest bulletin at 9.30 pm today.
The cyclone is likely to move west-southwestwards and cross the north Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts between Karaikal and Mahabalipuram close to Puducherry as a cyclonic storm with a wind speed of 70-80 kilometres per hour gusting to 90 kilometres per hour during the next 3 hours. The landfall process will continue during the same period.
The system is being continuously monitored by the Doppler Weather Radar at Chennai, IMD stated.
FENGAL over the Southwest Bay of Bengal had moved west-southwestwards with a speed of 7 kmph during the past 6 hours and lay centred at 8.30 pm today over the southwest Bay of Bengal close to north Tamil Nadu – Puducherry coasts near latitude 12.2ºN and longitude 80.1ºEast, about 15 km away from the coast, 50 km south-southwest of Mahabalipuram, 40 km northeast of Puducherry and 90 km south of Chennai.
Sea conditions are very rough over the southwest Bay of Bengal, adjoining areas of west-central Bay of Bengal, Gulf of Mannar and along and off Tamil Nadu-Puducherry, South Andhra Pradesh and north Sri Lanka coasts. The situation will gradually improve from tomorrow morning, the IMD said. It warned that moderate to high flash flood risk was likely over few watersheds and neighbourhoods of coast Prakasam and Nellore districts of coastal Andhra Pradesh; Chittoor and Kadapa districts of Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh; Ariyalur, Chennai, Cuddalore, Dharampuri, Erode, Krishnagiri, Namakkal, Nilgii, Perambalur, Salem, Tiruchirappalli, Tiruvallur, Tiruvannamalai, Vellore and Villupuram districts of Tamil Nadu, Karaikal district of Puducherry.
North Tamil Nadu, south coastal Andhra Pradesh, Yanam and Rayalaseema, and south interior Karnataka are experiencing heavy to very heavy rainfall with extremely heavy falls at isolated places today. North Tamil Nadu will continue to experience the same tomorrow also.
South interior Karnataka, Kerala and Mahe are likely to experience heavy rainfall on December 2-3, and Lakshadweep on December 3-4, 2024.
– global bihari bureau
