Cyclone Michaung likely to make landfall in Andhra Pradesh today, 8 dead in Chennai rain
Cyclone Michaung, which is swirling over the Bay of Bengal, is set to make landfall near Bapatla on the Andhra Pradesh coast shortly, after causing rain mayhem in Chennai. Check details here.
FollowCyclonic storm ‘Michaung’, which formed over the Bay of Bengal and intensified into a severe cyclonic storm, is likely to make landfall near Bapatla in Andhra Pradesh’s Bapatla during the forenoon of Tuesday, December 5, according to India Meteorological Department (IMD). The cyclone is expected to make landfall as a severe cyclonic storm with a maximum sustained wind speed of 90-100 km per hour, gusting to 110 km per hour.
The cyclone caused severe rain in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, with Chennai and its neighbouring areas suffering the brunt of it. So far, at least five people have died in rain-related incidents, while property with crores has been damaged.
The Andhra Pradesh government has issued an alert for eight districts - Tirupati, Nellore, Prakasam, Bapatla, Krishna, West Godavari, Konaseema and Kakinada. In Puducherry, Section 144 has been imposed in the coastal areas, restricting movement there, until 6 pm.
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Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has directed the officials to treat the storm as a major challenge to avoid loss of life and property as the winds are expected to blow gales reaching speeds of up to 110 kilometres per hour.
Meanwhile, the Chennai airport will remain closed till 9 am on Tuesday. Schools, colleges, and government offices remain shut and the government has appealed to private companies to let employees work from home.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said he was in constant touch with the governments of states on the eastern coast bracing for Cyclone Michaung to coordinate relief and rescue efforts. Modi also urged BJP workers in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh to join the relief and rescue efforts and support the local administration.
