Cyclone Fengal landfall likely today; flight ops hit, schools shut, WFH ordered in Chennai amid heavy rain

India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert for heavy rain in several parts of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry as Cyclonic storm ‘Fengal’ over the Bay of Bengal is expected to make landfall on Saturday afternoon, close to the coastal areas of Puducherry. Public services have been suspended and schools and institutions have been closed in several areas of the state due to the impending storm, which is predicted to bring heavy rains and severe gusts of up to 90 kmph.

The IMD issued a red alert for very heavy to extremely heavy rain on Saturday in Chennai, Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Villuppuram, Kallakurichi, Cuddalore districts, and Puducherry.

IMD also predicted heavy to very heavy rain at isolated places over Ranipet, Tiruvannamalai, Vellore, Perambalur, Ariyalur, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam districts and Karaikal area.

Authorities said on Saturday that all IndiGo airline arrival and departure flights at Chennai Airport have been canceled as a precaution against the cyclonic storm.

"Due to unfavorable weather, IndiGo Airlines has temporarily halted all arrival and departure flight operations at Chennai Airport. As soon as the weather improves, flight operations will resume with the safety of the crew and passengers as the first priority. For up-to-date information, we advise travelers to check with their individual airlines," the Chennai Airport administration stated.

The Tamil Nadu government instructed officials to halt public transportation on important highways, such as the East Coast Road (ECR) and Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR), in the afternoon of November 30 owing to the cyclonic storm's impact on the weather.

According to the government, the roads that run along the shore are temporarily closed to traffic in order to reduce the risk posed by the cyclonic storm. The action will also avoid fatalities from being caused by high winds and heavy rain when the storm makes landfall.

Furthermore, on November 30, the state government ordered IT businesses to permit their workers to choose to work from home. The action was done to lessen the number of commuters during the busiest times of the storm.