Chennai: Cyclonic storm Nilam is expected to make landfall between Puducherry and Chennai this evening. The Meteorological Department has said that the cyclone will hit the coast anytime between 4 and 6 pm today.
Here are the 10 latest developments on this story:
The cyclone is currently 250 kilometres away, and is moving towards Chennai. They city has been witnessing incessant rain and strong winds since Tuesday morning.
Under the influence of the system, heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected in Tamil Nadu and south coastal Andhra Pradesh over the next 24 hours. Besides Chennai, Kancheepuram, Cuddalore and Villupuram too have been witnessing rains. Schools and colleges across several districts, including Chennai and Cuddalore, remained closed for the second day today on account of incessant showers.
In Andhra Pradesh, Nellore, Prakasam, Guntur and Ongole districts are on high alert. A warning signal has been issued in Krishnapatnam, Vadarevu, Machilipatnam and Nizampatnam ports while fishermen have been warned not to venture into the sea. Nellore and Prakasam are expected to face a major impact of the cyclone.
Heavy rain in Bangalore today also has been attributed to cyclone Nilam. The sudden dip in temperature in the city and also several other parts of Karnataka are also due to cyclone Nilam, the Met Department has said. The rain has also resulted in traffic jams at several places in Bangalore.
Though Nilam has been categorised as a "marginal cyclone", authorities in coastal Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh say they are prepared for the worst and all preparations are in place. Tamil Nadu government has deputed 13 IAS officers to supervise preparations and relief work.
The cyclone is expected to reach wind speed of up to 90 kilometres per hour at the time of landfall. Low-lying areas of Tamil Nadu like Chennai, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur districts could be inundated due to the storm surge, officials have warned.
There have been no major evacuations so far. However all arrangements are in place. In Chennai, 282 schools will serve as relief centres. Community kitchens have also been arranged. Cyclone shelters have also been organised in Nagapattinam and Cuddalore districts with essential supplies. The government plans to send generators and sand bags to vulnerable areas in the districts.
According to officials, the sea will be "very rough to high" and fishermen in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and adjoining south Andhra Pradesh coasts have been advised to stay off the sea. Boats have been moved to low-lying areas.
The Chennai port on the southeast coast has stopped cargo operations after a cyclone. The port handles about 10 percent of traffic passing through India's major ports, covering a variety of cargoes including crude oil, petroleum products and agricultural commodities.Windspeeds can reach upto 90 km in Chennai and there could be some disruption in communication lines, say officials. Danger signals ranging from five to seven have been hoisted at Chennai, Ennore, Cuddalore, Nagapattinam and Puducherry ports.
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