Cyclone Fengal: High tides at Chennai's beaches
Dec 01, 2024
Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], December 1 : Cyclone Fengal which crossed north Tamil Nadu coasts and made landfall in Puducherry on November 30 late night, the beaches in Chennai witnessed high tides and rough sea conditions. The weather forecast issued by the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) predicted "isolated heavy to very heavy" rainfall in Chennai for Sunday.
Rough sea conditions were seen on the beaches of Chennai including Marina, Pattinapakkam and Elliot's Beach. Due to strong winds, the beach sand came to the Pattinapakkam beach road due to high tide. The Greater Chennai Corporation staff cleared the sand from the Pattinapakkam beach road with the help of JCB.
According to India Meteorological Department (IMD), the winds reached 70-80 kilometres per hour to 90 kmph in the coastal districts of north Tamil Nadu and south Andhra Pradesh.
"It is likely to decrease from night of 30th November and becoming squally wind speed reaching 50-60 kmph gusting to 70 kmph from morning of 1st December and decrease gradually further thereafter," the bulletin released by IMD read.
Isolated places over north Tamil Nadu are likely to witness "heavy to very heavy rainfall" today. The weather department had informed that the wind speed along and off north Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and adjoining south Andhra Pradesh coasts would reach "70-80 kilometres per hour gusting to 90 kmph".
"It is likely to prevail till the night of November 30 and gradually decrease thereafter," IMD said in its National Bulletin.
IMD predicted "extremely heavy" rainfall in the union territory of Puducherry for today and "moderate" for December 2.
Cyclone Fengal crossed between Karaikal and Mahabalipuram coasts yesterday near Puducherry. The cyclone made landfall on the Union Territory's coast on Saturday.
"The Cyclonic Storm FENGAL crossed North Tamil Nadu & Puducherry coasts near latitude 12.05°N and longitude 79.9°E, close to Puducherry, between 2230 hrs IST and 2330 hrs IST yesterday, the 30th November as a cyclonic storm with wind speed of 70-80 kmph gusting to 90 kmph. It lay centred at 2330 hours IST yesterday, the 30th of November over north coastal Tamilnadu & Puducherry near latitude 12.0°N and longitude 79.8°E, close to Puducherry. It will continue to move west-southwestwards slowly and weaken gradually into a deep depression during the next 3 hours," IMD wrote on X.
The official statement added that residents in the affected areas have been advised to remain indoors and follow all instructions from local authorities to ensure their safety.
Meanwhile, people living in nearby areas have been shifted to relief camps near Kalpakkam in Chengalpattu district, in the wake of Cyclone Fengal.