Tamil Nadu weather: Cyclone Fengal to hit Chennai, North TN, Puducherry and other coastal areas by evening

Fengal Cyclone at 6 km/h

For the past 7 hours, Fengal Cyclone has been moving at 6 km/h and is currently located 180 km east of Puducherry and 190 km southeast of Chennai. It is predicted to make landfall near Puducherry, between Mamallapuram and Puducherry, today. People are advised to stay safe as wind speeds could reach 90 km/h during landfall.

Red Alert Issued

With the Meteorological Department issuing a heavy rainfall warning for several parts of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry due to Fengal, a Red Alert has been issued for Chennai, Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu, Kanchipuram, Villupuram, Kallakurichi, and Cuddalore districts, indicating the possibility of heavy to very heavy rainfall. Moderate to heavy rainfall is also predicted for Ranipet, Tiruvannamalai, Vellore, Ariyalur, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, and Karaikal.

ECR Road to be Closed

As the cyclone is expected to make landfall near Puducherry, between Mamallapuram and Karaikal, the East Coast Road (ECR) will be temporarily closed during the landfall.

School Holiday Declared

Due to heavy rainfall from Cyclone Fengal and the anticipated increase in intensity during landfall, schools and colleges are closed in Kanchipuram, Tiruvallur, Chennai, Chengalpattu, Villupuram, Cuddalore, Kallakurichi, Mayiladuthurai, and Ranipet districts.

Flights Circle Due to Cyclone

Due to increased wind speeds from the cyclone, flights from Pune, Kuwait, Muscat, and Mumbai are circling Chennai airport, unable to land. Six incoming flights from Singapore, Tiruchirappalli, Mangalore, and other locations have been cancelled due to heavy rain and strong winds. However, flights to Tiruchirappalli, Thoothukudi, Mysore, Bengaluru, and Andaman are operating as usual.