South Tamil Nadu to bear brunt of cyclonic storm in 24 hours

Chennai

“The depression over Southeast Bay of Bengal moved west­northwestwards and lay centred at about 710 km southeast of Trincomalee (Sri Lanka) and 1,120 km east­southeast of Kanniyakumari,” said N Puviarasan, director, Area Cyclone Warning Centre, Regional Meteorological Centre, Chennai.

Southern districts can expect heavy rains. According to experts, there will be heavy rains in Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Pudukottai, Sivaganga, Ramanathapuram, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Kanniyakumari and Karaikal on December 2, the day of landfall. In the subsequent days, there will be extremely heavy rainfall in Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Kanniyakumari and Ramanathapuram districts.

Heavy rain is likely at Pudukottai, Sivaganga, Virudhunagar, Tenkasi, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam and Karaikal districts. Thunderstorms are predicted over isolated places across the State, with winds reaching 45-55 kmph gusting to 65 kmph on December 2 and 55 kmph gusting to 75 kmph on December 3, over the coastal districts.

According to Kanniyakumari Collector M Arvind, around 30 temporary relief shelters with all basic facilities and power generators have been put up across the district.

About 90 per cent of fishermen from the forty-two coastal hamlets comprising four fishing harbours have returned shore, and fishermen aboard 172 boats were being contacted through satellite phones and also with the help of Indian Coast Guard, advising them to head to the nearby safe shores.

Emergency operation centres have been set up at vulnerable areas.

The Collector said dams, including Pechiparai and Perunchani, are at a safe level and could withstand even high inflow of water if it rains heavily. The situation is monitored by nine inter-department zonal teams, he added.

In Ramanathapuram, issuance of fishing token has been stopped since Sunday, and all fishermen remain at the 180 coastal hamlets, said Fisheries Department sources.

At Thoothukudi, 24 boats with around 150 fishermen are yet to reach Tharuvaikulam shore.

Ten of the boats are expected to return on Monday night and the rest on the next day, sources said. Distant cautionary warning (Signal 1) was hoisted at VO Chidambaranar Port on Monday.