Chennai is set to experience heavy to very heavy rainfall as a deep depression in the Bay of Bengal remains 650 km away from the city currently, expected to strengthen and convert into Cyclone Nivar and cross the coast between Mamallapuram and Karaikal on November 25.
Nivar has been named by Iran as per the tropical cyclone naming in the Indian Ocean. “Wind speed is expected to touch 100 to 110km per hour when from Tuesday onwards. Heavy to very heavy rainfall is forecast in all costal districts, especially Cauvery delta districts due to the Nivar cyclone,” said an IMD release.
Rainfall of 6cm to 10cm is expected, said a report in the Times of India. As the weather system is too far away, Monday will be mostly cloudy with light drizzle. It will start raining on Tuesday as the cyclone draws nearer to the coast. When it starts to make landfall on Wednesday, Villupuram, Cuddalore, Puducherry and Chennai are forecast to have heavy rain.
The Tamil Nadu government has taken special steps to face the cyclone. “Please ensure that all the storm water drains, culverts and bridges are desilted. Quick assessment of the need to evacuate people in potentially affected areas to be made and they should be evacuated in time,” said a government release.
Relief centres have been asked to ensure they are Covid-19 appropriate. People living in weak buildings may be shifted to safe places.
People have been cautioned about snapped EB lines. Police may be posted near water bodies and sea shore to turn people away and local bodies may keep adequate capacity pumpsets to take out from residential areas.
Deputy Director of the regional meteorological centre in Chennai S Balachandran said rain would start in coastal districts on Monday and intensify step-by-step, adding that on Tuesday and Wednesday, some areas on the coast would get heavy rain and very heavy rain.
Warning fishermen to not venture into the sea till November 25, Balachandran said there were chances of heavy rain to start in the city and its suburbs on Tuesday.
The well-marked low pressure is located 700 km from Karaikal and 760km away from Chennai and it will skirt the coast of Sri Lanka, and move northwest to brace the Tamil Nadu coast.
Named cyclone Nivar by Iran, it is moving at a good speed, said a met official. The low pressure is quickly turning into a depression, in 12 hours instead of the 24 hours forecast earlier.
ALERT SOUNDED IN NAGAPATTINAM, KARAIKAL
As Cyclone Nivar heads toward the Tamil Nadu coast, the Nagapattinam district administration has advised fishermen to keep their boats safe to prevent damage, the New Indian Express reports.
All departments in Nagapattinam are on high alert, including finance, disaster management, police, forestry, health services, and rural development. All the fishermen were asked to return to the shore immediately.
Officials are also concerned that Cyclone Nivar could deviate slightly in its direction, like Cyclone Gaja, which could put at risk the southern half of the district of Nagapattinam.
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