Four Killed As Cyclone Fengal Brings Heavy Rain To Chennai, Flights Cancelled (Image: X/Sunny_000S)
Cyclone Fengal hit Chennai on Saturday, bringing heavy rain and strong winds that killed four people in electrocutions.
The cyclone made landfall near Puducherry, causing widespread flooding and disruption in the city. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the cyclone brought 9cm to 13cm of rain across different parts of Chennai since Saturday morning.
The Cyclonic Storm FENGAL crossed North Tamil Nadu & Puducherry coasts near latitude 12.05°N and longitude 79.9°E, close to Puducherry, between 2230 hrs IST and 2330 hrs IST yesterday, the 30th November 2024 as a cyclonic storm with a wind speed of 70-80 kmph gusting to 90… pic.twitter.com/6JyaEgQMwv
— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) November 30, 2024
The IMD issued an orange alert for heavy rainfall for Chennai and 13 districts, including the city’s three neighbouring districts. A red alert for extremely heavy spells was issued to Villupuram, Kallakurichi and Cuddalore, which are closer to the landfall location. The weather system is expected to continue bringing rainfall on Sunday after it moves inland.
Also, read| Man Electrocuted At ATM In Chennai Amid Heavy Rain, Body Found Floating In Water
Convective clouds associated with the Cyclonic Storm “FENGAL” over north coastal Tamil Nadu & Puducherry as seen through :
(i) Satellite IR animation from INSAT 3DR (01.12.2024 0000-0815 IST).
(ii) MAX-Z product from DWR Chennai (01.12.2024 0610-0840 IST).
(iii)… pic.twitter.com/q58BiQdCHD— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) December 1, 2024
The cyclone caused flooding and tree falls in Chennai, but the extent of the damage was not as severe as feared. Public transport was kept to a minimum and since it was a weekend, people hardly ventured out.
The centre of the cyclonic storm slowed down from 10kmph to 7kmph and changed directions from 90km southeast of Chennai to 90km south of the city after 2.30 pm.
Flight operations were disrupted due to the bad weather with 13 flights to and from Chennai cancelled on Friday. Two IndiGo flights, one from Chennai to Mangaluru and another from Chennai to Trichy were cancelled, along with their return flights.
Also, read| Cyclone Fengal: Tamil Nadu On High Alert, Schools Shut As Landfall Expected Soon
Air India Express also cancelled five flights scheduled to depart from Coimbatore, Bhubaneshwar, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Pune, citing operational reasons.
The Chennai airport was shut down and 226 flights were cancelled due to adverse weather conditions. Another 20 flights due to arrive in Chennai were diverted to other airports, including Guwahati. The Airports Authority of India said the airport would remain closed till 4 am on Sunday.
#UPDATE | Based on the meeting with IMD, Airlines, AAI and other stakeholders given the revised weather forecast and readiness of the operational area, Chennai Airport will resume operations from 0100 hrs (01.12.2024).
We recommend passengers check with their respective… pic.twitter.com/iFlmP5JZkX
— Chennai (MAA) Airport (@aaichnairport) November 30, 2024
Normal life was disrupted in Puducherry with the Union Territory recording around 10 cm of rainfall from 8.30 am to 6 pm on Saturday. Power supply was disrupted in several areas in the evening. The Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Authority (TNSDMA) issued helpline numbers for assistance, including a state helpline (1070), district helpline (1077), and WhatsApp number (9445869848).
