Chennai braces for heavy rain during the day due to cyclone Fengal moving closer to the city. The cyclone formed 270 km southeast of Chennai on Friday night. The Met Department has said wind speed could be up to 90 kmph.
Fengal moved NNW-wards with a speed of 12 kmph during the past six hours and lay centred at 0530 hours about 150 km east of Puducherry and 140 km southeast of Chennai. Intense rain spells over North Tamil Nadu coastal districts. The rain spells are likely to continue in the coming hours, says IMD Chennai
It is likely to move nearly west-northwestwards and cross north Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts between Karaikal and Mahabalipuram close to Puducherry as a cyclonic storm with a wind speed of 70-80 kmph gusting to 90 kmph during afternoon of November 30.
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The State administration has said that it has taken all precautionary measures to prevent flooding in the city. Nearly 18,000 police personnel are in action throughout the city.
Cars have taken over the flyovers in Velachery and T Nagar as the city witnessed continuous rain from Friday night due to cyclone Fengal. However, no major disruption has been reported due to the heavy rain. Trains are running as usual, but over 10 ten flights were cancelled.
The state government said that East Coast Road and Old Mahabalipuram Road would be closed during the day.
Chennai Metro services uninterrupted
According to the Chennai Metro Rail Ltd bulletin, normal metro train services run without any delays/deviations.
Passengers are advised not to halt their vehicles at Koyambedu Metro, St.Thomas Mount and Arumbakkam Metro station and parking lots prone to water stagnation.
The president of the Jewellers and Diamond Traders Association, Madras, Jayantilal J Challani, said that due to the Fengal cyclone and heavy rains, all jewellery shops in Chennai and other rain-affected areas will be closed today to ensure the safety of customers.
IndiGo suspends operations
IndiGo Airlines has suspended all arrivals and departures at Chennai Airport due to severe weather conditions caused by Cyclone Fengal. Flight operations will resume once conditions improve, ensuring the safety of passengers and crew, according to airport authorities.
Passengers are advised to contact their airlines for the latest updates.
In light of Cyclonic Storm ‘Fengal’ and the forecasted high crosswinds, as predicted by the IMD, Chennai Airport operations will be suspended from 12:30 hrs to 19:00 hrs on November 30, 2024 (today), due to safety concerns raised by stakeholder airlines. Passengers are advised to check with their respective airlines regarding flight updates.
Chennai suburban trains to run less frequently
Due to the heavy rain, Southern Railway has announced that EMU train services in all suburban sections in the Chennai Division will operate at reduced frequency intervals until further notice.
This precautionary measure has been taken to ensure passenger safety during the cyclone.
Waterlogging crisis
Due to heavy rain, waterlogging has been reported in many parts of the city. There are visuals of water logging inside the airport. The Corporation is using heavy jet pumps to clear the water logging.
MRTS suspended
Due to strong winds with velocities ranging between 65-73 kmph, suburban services between Chennai Beach and Velachery in the MRTS Section have been suspended from 12. 15 hrs onwards, said Southern Railway.