Cyclone Fengal updates: Fengal begins making landfall near Puducherry; Chennai airport operations suspended till 4am on Sunday

Cyclone Fengal-triggered heavy rains accompanied by gusty winds lashed northern Tamil Nadu and neighbouring Puducherry on Saturday, prompting a shutdown of the Chennai airport, and inundated many parts of the city but there were no immediate reports of a major damage, the government said.

The cyclonic storm made a landfall close to the Puducherry union territory area.

Steady rains pounded Chennai, its nearby districts and Puducherry affecting public transport, including bus, train and flight services and people from vulnerable areas were moved to safe shelters by authorities. From afternoon onwards, the rains turned intermittent in most areas and by nightfall, it ceased.

Cyclonic storm Fengal has commenced making landfall close to Puducherry and it may approximately take 4 hours for it to cross the coast completely, an India Meteorological Department (IMD) official said here on Saturday.

Citing data and observations, IMD-Regional Meteorological Centre, Additional Director General, S Balachandran told PTI that the process of the cyclone's landfall commenced at about 5.30 pm on November 30.

On the area of landfall, he said it was close to 'Puducherry area' and that it may take approximately 4 hours for the completion of the landfall process and added that more related information would be made available later.

Heavy rain and gusty winds witnessed in Puducherry as the effect of Cyclone Fengal intensifies.

As per IMD, the cyclone is to make landfall in the next few hours.

The Cyclonic Storm Fengal over Southwest Bay of Bengal moved west-southwestwards with a speed of 7 kmph during past 6 hours and lay centred at 1730 hours IST of today over the southwest Bay of Bengal off North Tamil Nadu coast near latitude 12.2°N and longitude 80.3°E, about 40 km away from the coast, 50 km south-southeast of Mahabalipuram, 60 km east-northeast of Puducherry and 90 km south of Chennai. Latest observations indicate that the forward sector of spiral bands associated with the cyclone has entered into the land. It is likely to move west-southwestwards and cross north Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts between Karaikal and Mahabalipuram close to Puducherry as a cyclonic storm with a wind speed of 70-80 kmph gusting to 90 kmph during next 3 to 4 hours."

Cyclonic storm 'Fengal' begins making landfall near Puducherry; Chennai airport operations suspended till 4am on Sunday

16 flights diverted to Bengaluru. 11 domestic. 5 international This includes 1 flight that took off from blr for chennaj and came back. 6 indigo, 4 Air india, 1 Akasa, 1 SpiceJet 1 star Air

Indigo - Abu Dhabi to Chennai

Emirates - Dubai to Chennai

Etihad - Abu Dhabi to Chennai

IndiGo - Bangkok to Chennai

Oman Air - Muscat to Chennai

Chennai Airport in a post on X said, "A team of senior officials is closely monitoring the situation to facilitate the earliest resumption of operations as meteorological conditions improve. A meeting was conducted at 1630 hrs, involving all stakeholders and officials from the India Meteorological Department (IMD). During the meeting, IMD provided updates indicating that the landfall is expected around 2030 hrs, with prevailing weather conditions likely to persist until 2330 hrs. Following consultations with AAI Headquarters and considering feedback from stakeholders, it has been decided to extend the closure of operations through a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) until 0400 IST on 1st December 2024. We recommend passengers check with their respective airlines regarding their flights."

Puducherry District Collector A Kulothungan said, "The landfall process will take place around 7 pm today. From the district administration, we have made elaborate arrangements for cyclone Fengal. War room has been prepared...Relief centres have been set up, all arrangements have been made there... warning messages have also been sent... around 4000 government officials are working."

On Cyclone Fengal , Visakhapatnam Cyclone Warning Centre MD KVS Srinivas said, "It is lying 120 km northeast of Puducherry and 110km southeast of Chennai. It is likely to move westward direction across North Tamil Nadu and the Puducherry coast between Mahabalipuram and Karaikal by today evening with wind speeds reaching 70-80kmph."

On Cyclone Fengal , Chennai IMD Head S Balachandran said, "It is lying at about 100kms south-east of Chennai and Northeast of Puducherry. It is moving at the rate of 10km/hour. It is likely to cross near Puducherry by today evening... There will be extremely heavy rainfall... The day after tomorrow, the system will move westward... The wind speed will be 70-80 kmph at the time of crossing, gusting to 90 kmph."

As of now, Cyclone Fengal is about 100kms northeast of Puducherry and 100kms southeast of Chennai. At present, it is moving at a rate of 10kmph. It is expected to cross near to Puducherry today evening... It will last a few hours. The windspeed at the time of crossing (landfall) will be 70-80kmph gusting to 90kmph," says Dr. Balachandran, Director, Meteorological Department, Chennai.

As per IMD, Cyclone Fengal to cross north Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts between Karaikal and Mahabalipuram close to Puducherry as a cyclonic storm with a wind speed of 70-80 kmph gusting to 90 kmph during the evening of 30th November.

Heavy rainfall lashes parts of Tirupati as Cyclone Fengal is heading towards the coast of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.

The India Meteorological Department predicted light to moderate rainfall or thundershowers at many places over south coastal and Rayalaseema regions while extremely heavy rains are expected at one or two places over SPSR-Nellore, Tirupati and Chittoor districts of Andhra Pradesh.

According to IMD, thunderstorms accompanied by lightning are likely at one or two places over South Coastal and Rayalaseema due to Cyclone Fengal.

Heavy rain is likely to occur at one or two places over the Prakasam, SPSR-Nellore, YSR Kadapa, Annamayya, Tirupati and Chittoor Districts on Sunday, it said Squally winds with speed reaching 50 Kmph may prevail over South Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema.

Road being cleared by the officials as trees uprooted in Chennai's Besant Nagar area due to gusty winds and rain amid Cyclone Fengal

As per IMD, Cyclone Fengal to cross north Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts between Karaikal and Mahabalipuram close to Puducherry as a cyclonic storm with a wind speed of 70-80 kmph gusting to 90 kmph during the evening of 30th November.

Many residents of low-lying Madipakkam parked their cars on both sides of nearby Velachery flyover.

Residents of similar vulnerable areas too parked their vehicles in safe spots. Roads were largely deserted and civic workers, police, and fire and rescue personnel, deployed in vulnerable places performed rain-related relief/rescue tasks.

Many parts of the city suffered inundation and trees were uprooted. Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) authorities said 22,000 personnel including engineers, officials and sanitary workers were on the job and a total of 1,686 motor pumps of various capacities including 25-hp and 100-hp were in use.

As many as 484 tractor-mounted heavy-duty pumps and 137 pumps of 100-hp capacity have been deployed.

Cyclone Fengal live updates: Gusty winds and violent sea conditions in Tamil Nadu

Chennai Airport has temporarily shut its operations till 7 pm today as heavy rainfall and strong winds intensified ahead of Cyclone Fengal's expected landfall.

Heavy rains accompanied by gusty winds pounded several parts of northern Tamil Nadu today morning.

The name ‘Fengal’ has its roots in Arabic, where it means “indifferent.” The name was proposed by Saudi Arabia, which follows the naming conventions of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP).

The practice of naming cyclones is part of a broader effort to recognise cultural diversity and linguistic heritage across the region, adding a layer of identity to these global natural events.

The government had already declared November 30 a holiday for educational institutions and requested IT firms to make their employees work from home.

Cyclone has affected flight operations, public transport and normal life in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

Cyclone Fengal, which intensified into a cyclonic storm on November 29, is expected to make landfall between Karaikal and Mahabalipuram near Puducherry around midday, said the IMD, issuing a red alert for heavy rain in several parts of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

IndiGo Airlines has temporarily suspended all arrival and departure flight operations at Chennai Airport due to adverse weather conditions. Flight operations will resume once the weather improves, prioritising the safety of passengers and crew.

Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin reviews the arrangements and precautionary measures taken by the state government.

According to the district administration, cyclone Fengal was expected to cross the coast in the evening. Control rooms have been opened in the collectorate and also in the line departments.

Toll free numbers 112, 1077 and also WhatsApp number 94889 81070 have been put in place to help people facing crisis to contact for help.

Puducherry experienced heavy rains on Saturday morning prompting the district administration to send SMS alerts to around 12 lakh residents cautioning them to remain vigilant as cyclonic storm Fengal is expected to make landfall today.

Toll free numbers 112, 1077 and also WhatsApp number 94889 81070 have been put in place to help people facing crisis to contact for help.

The name ‘Fengal’ has its roots in Arabic, where it means “indifferent.” The name was proposed by Saudi Arabia, which follows the naming conventions of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP).

The practice of naming cyclones is part of a broader effort to recognise cultural diversity and linguistic heritage across the region, adding a layer of identity to these global natural events.

As the sea was pretty rough, police put up barricades blocking access to noted beaches including the Marina and Mamallapuram.

State-run Aavin milk supply was not affected and power supply continued to be normal in most areas.

Departure and arrival schedule of flights were affected to some extent. Chennai Metro Rail said its services were operational without any glitches and informed public of parking areas in specific stations that were prone to inundation. State-run transport corporations operated skeleton services in Chennai and nearby areas.

What began as intermittent rainfall in coastal regions on the night of November 29, gradually became steady leading to water logging in several areas and many residents of low-lying Madipakkam parked their vehicles on both sides of nearby Velachery flyover.

Navy is gearing up to render all necessary support to the vulnerable areas in coordination with state and civil administration. This includes loading vehicles with food, drinking water, medicines and other High Availability Disaster Recovery (HADR) relief materials as well as positioning Flood Relief Teams (FRTs) for quick response.

Intermittent rains continued on Wednesday in the state’s Cauvery delta areas affecting standing paddy crops. Crops were submerged partially and completely at several places, including those in and around Tiruvarur, Thiruthuraipoondi, Muthupettai, Mayiladuthurai, and Vedaranyam, and according to farmers’ rough estimates, crops on at least 2,000 acres were affected.

Also, huge acreage of salt pans in the districts of Nagapattinam (Vedaranyam) and Villupuram (Marakkanman) came under water.

According to the IMD, the deep depression lies over the Southwest Bay of Bengal and is likely to move towards the coastal districts of Tamil Nadu.

The deep depression is then likely to intensify into Cyclonic Storm ‘Fengal’. It will cross the north Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts between Karaikal and Mahabalipuram around the morning of November 30.

The Indian Navy has activated a comprehensive disaster response plan in preparation for Cyclone Fengal’s intensification. The Eastern Naval Command, in collaboration with the Tamil Nadu and Puducherry Naval Area (HQTN&P), has implemented a robust disaster response strategy, focusing on humanitarian assistance, disaster relief (HADR), and search and rescue (SAR) operations.

Naval personnel are working closely with state and civil authorities to ensure rapid response capabilities. Relief materials, including food, water, and medicines, are being dispatched, and specialized Flood Relief Teams (FRTs) are being deployed in vulnerable areas.

Cyclone Fengal caused significant damage to paddy crops in Tamil Nadu’s Nagapattinam district, where over 800 acres of crops were submerged, causing distress to farmers.

Affected areas include Kamashwaram, Virundhamavadi, Pudupalli, Vedrappu, Vanamadevi, Vallapallam, Kallimedu, Eeravayal, and Chemboadi, as per PTI.

The Department of Information and Public Relations has issued a statement in which IT companies have been urged to allow their employees to work from home on Saturday.

As many as 13 flights to and from Chennai were cancelled on Friday, citing bad weather and operational reasons.

After the formation of cyclonic storm was confirmed by the IMD, two more IndiGo flights – one from Chennai to Mangaluru and another from Chennai to Trichy – were cancelled, as per reports.

As of Friday, 471 people from 164 families have been relocated to six relief centres in Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam districts. Authorities are closely monitoring the situation, with senior officials stationed in their respective districts to ensure effective coordination of disaster management efforts.

On December 1, heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely at isolated places in interior Tamil Nadu, and on December 2 and 3, heavy rainfall is likely at isolated places in the state.

Meanwhile, in wake of the cyclonic storm, President Droupadi Murmu’s visit to Tiruvarur Central University has been cancelled.

Boats, generators, motor pumps, and other essential equipment have been pre-positioned in affected districts. National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and state teams have been deployed in areas such as Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai, Tiruvarur, Cuddalore, Thanjavur, Chengelpet, and Chennai to assist with relief and rescue operations.

S Balachandran, Director of the Regional Meteorological Centre in Chennai, told ANI that coastal districts, particularly between Karaikal and Mahabalipuram near Puducherry, will experience the most severe impact from Cyclone Fengal.

Wind speeds of 50-60 km/h were reported on Friday, with gusts reaching up to 70 km/h.

The most intense rainfall is expected between 1:00 pm and 2:00 pm today, with heavy rainfall spreading across several areas.

Cyclone Fengal live updates: Coastal areas witness changes in weather with gusty winds and rain

KVS Srinivas, Director of the Visakhapatnam Cyclone Warning Centre, has warned of “extremely heavy rainfall” in the districts of Nellore, Tirupati, and Chittoor over the next 24 hours.

The cyclone is expected to cross the North Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts within six hours, prompting cyclone alerts for several nearby Tamil Nadu districts.

The Department of Revenue and Disaster Management has set up toll-free numbers 112 and 1077 to receive distress calls from the public. A WhatsApp number, 9488981070, has also been provided for assistance, as per PTI.

Meanwhile, in compliance with the advisory, 4,153 boats have returned to shore, and 2,229 relief camps are ready for use if needed.

In response to the severe weather threat, authorities have urged residents to stay indoors. Schools and colleges in the affected regions will remain closed on Saturday as a precautionary measure. District officials, including A Kulothungan, District Collector, have been in discussions with various departments, including the Public Works Department (PWD), local administration, and police, to review the situation and ensure proper preparedness for the storm.

The cyclonic storm is forecast to make landfall on Saturday afternoon with wind speeds of up to 90 km/h. Schools and colleges in Puducherry will remain shut

The IMD issued a red alert for very heavy to extremely heavy rain on Saturday in Chennai, Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Villuppuram, Kallakurichi, Cuddalore districts, and Puducherry.