Cyclone Michaung: landfall likely at Andhra Pradesh’s coast today, Heavy ranfall triggered southern parts

New Delhi: The cyclonic storm ‘Michaung’ which formed over the Bay of Bengal intensified into a “Severe Cyclonic Storm” is expected to make landfall between Andhra Pradesh’s Nellore and Machilipatnam at fornoon, with a maximum sustained wind speed of 90-100 kmph gusting to 110 kmph.

The term Michaung, proposed by Myanmar, symbolises strength and resilience. According to the IMD, the system is nearlymoving northwards close to coast, some parts of the wall cloud region lies overland.

It said the system is likely to move nearly northwards parallel and close to south Andhra Pradesh coast and cross south Andhra Pradesh coast between Nelloreand Machilipatnam.

Cyclone Michaung currently lays 30 Kms northeast of Nellore, 130 Kms south, southwest of Bapatla and 190 Kms north of Chennai.

The Cyclone has been moving at a speed of 9 kmph and the wind speed has been 90 to 100 kmph during the past 6 hours.

As per IMD, heavy to very heavy rains accompanied by storng winds lashed in many parts of Nellore, Prakasam and Bapatla districts in Andhra Prades

Under the influence of Cyclone ‘Michaung’, parts of Jharkhand are likely to receive light to moderate rainfall till December 7, a weather official said on Monday.

Ranchi Meteorological Centre has predicted light rain in a few pockets on Tuesday and light to moderate showers on December 6 and 7.

Cyclone Michaung pummelled Chennai and its neighbouring districts non-stop, dumping 400 to 500mm of rain, since Sunday morning, flooding homes and destroying cars and bikes across the coastal metropolis.

As per the authorties around 15,000 people have been evacuated from low-lying areas and near waterbodies in Avadi, Tambaram and Chennai corporations and accommodated in relief camps.

There are 200 relief camps in Chennai and 100 more in other outskirts.

Around five persons were feared dead in cyclone-related incidents in the city. Meanwhile the Chennai airport shut down and around 300 flights were cancelled and more than 1,500 passengers were stranded.

The Southern Railway too cancelled several long-distance trains and trains coming to the city were terminated at Chengalpattu, inconveniencing hundreds of passengers.