Cyclone Michaung: 5 Dead as Chennai Witnesses Worst Rain in 70-80 Years

Chennai: The cyclonic storm ‘Michaung’ is expected to intensify further, moving northward over the southern part of Andhra Pradesh and crossing Nellore and Machilipatnam on Tuesday morning, eventually making landfall at Bapatla, as per the India Meteorological Department. In anticipation of heavy rainfall during the landfall, the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh has issued alerts to officials in approximately eight districts for necessary preparations. Meanwhile, in Tamil Nadu, which has been experiencing incessant rainfall since the formation of the low depression in the Bay of Bengal, numerous areas in Chennai and its surroundings have been flooded. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has initiated rescue operations. Several areas in the city, including Maduravoyal, Porur, Saligaramam, and Valasaravakkam, are facing waterlogging issues. The strong winds have uprooted trees in various locations. Due to heavy rainfall causing the water level to reach the danger mark at Bridge No. 14 between Vyasarpadi and Basin Bridge, eleven express trains departing from Chennai Central were canceled on Monday. Addressing the people of Tamil Nadu, chief minister MK Stalin urged them to stay indoors until the storm abates. The chief minister personally inspected the Control room to assess the readiness for dealing with the cyclone. Even as the cyclonic storm “Michaung” (pronounced as Mihjaum) is likely to make a landfall between Nellore and Machilipatnam on Andhra Pradesh coast on Tuesday forenoon, several parts of neighbouring Odisha are expected to experience heavy rainfall, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Monday. The IMD has issued an orange warning for heavy rainfall in coastal Odisha on Tuesday and yellow alerts for light to moderate rainfall in several areas of the state till December 6. According to the weather office, Michaung formed over southwest and adjoining Westcentral Bay of Bengal has moved north-westwards with a speed of 10 kmph during past six hours and currently lay centered over the west-central and adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal off south Andhra Pradesh and adjoining north Tamil Nadu coasts near latitude 13.2°N and Longitude 81.2°E, about 110 km east-northeast of Chennai, 190 km southeast of Nellore, 210 km northeast of Puducherry, 310 km south-southeast of Bapatla and 330 km southeast of Machilipatnam. Michaung is likely to move north-north-westwards and intensify further into a severe cyclonic storm by Monday, forenoon. Thereafter, it would move nearly northwards almost parallel and close to south Andhra Pradesh coast and make landfall between Nellore and Machilipatnam, close to Bapatla during forenoon of December 5 as a severe cyclonic storm with a maximum sustained wind speed of 90-100 kmph gusting to 110 kmph. Squally wind speed reaching 35-45 kmph gusting to 55 kmph is likely from December 4 evening along and off the Odisha coast, especially in Gajapati, Ganjam, Puri, and Jagatsinghpur. It is likely to gradually increase becoming 40-50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph from December 5 evening for subsequent 12 hours. Fishermen have been advised not to venture into deep sea over southwest Bay of Bengal till December 5; west-central Bay of Bengal till December 6 and along and off Odisha coast during December 4 evening to December 6.

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