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Chennai/Puducherry: Cyclone Thane, packing wind speed of 140 kmph, made landfall on
the coast between Cuddalore in Tamil and Puducherry Friday
morning, officials of the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD)
here said.
"The cyclone is in the process of crossing between Cuddalore and
Puducherry coast. The wind speed is around 140 kmph at Puducherry
and Cuddalore. Waves measuring 1.5 metres height are hitting the
shoreline," an IMD official told IANS.
At 2 a.m. the cyclone moved closer to about 90 km east of
Puducherry, 125 km south-southeast of Chennai, IMD said.
"The storm is more of wind centric and not much of rain.
Puducherry recorded 14 cm rain, while Cuddalore 7 cm.," the
official said, adding the weather will remain gloomy.
Rainfall with heavy to very heavy falls was expected at a few
places in north Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. The IMD has also
predicted rainfall over south coastal Andhra Pradesh and
Rayalseema.
In Puducherry, as a matter of precaution, power has been switched
off since 11 p.m. Thursday night.
"We don't know what is happening in the outside world. All that we
have been hearing since last night is the howling of the wind.
Several trees have fallen down. Even mobile phone signals are not
proper," S. Ravikumar, a Puducherry resident, told IANS.
Chennai and Cuddalore have witnessed heavy wind and rain since
Thursday night. In some places tress have been uprooted disrupting
power lines and traffic.
The sea has been rough and has inundated some residential areas
along the East Coast Road connecting Chennai and Puducherry and
people have been shifted to safer place.
Traffic on the East Coast Road has been disrupted due to uprooted
trees.
The Tamil Nadu government has set up 20 teams to monitor the water
levels in lakes and other water bodies in Chennai, Thiruvallur and
other places.
Eight teams of the National Disaster Management Force have been
sent to the coastal districts.
The railways has announced around two hour delay in the arrival of
some trains to Chennai Egmore station.
Fishermen along northern Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and south Andhra
Pradesh coasts were advised not to venture into the sea till
Saturday afternoon.
Tamil Nadu ports were in a state of high alert with Chennai and
Ennore ports asking the ships to move out to safe distance.
The public works department of the Tamil Nadu government has
advised people living in low lying areas close to Red Hills,
Chembarambakkam and Poondi reservoirs to move to safer places as
surplus water will be released depending on the rain intensity.
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