Cyclone Fengal batters Chennai and Puducherry, disrupts normal life

Chennai: Cyclone Fengal (Fenjal) after making landfall on Saturday night would take another five to six hours to weaken gradually said the India meteorological Department( IMD)

In a social media post, the Regional head of the Met department Dr. S. Balachandran informed that due to the prevailing situation, rains are bound to continue between Mamamallapuram, Chennai, Kancheepuram Tiruvallur, Chengalpet , Ranipet ,Villupuram, Cuddalore and Puducherry.

Cyclonic storm Fenga (Fenjal), which made landfall near Puducherry late last night, has remained stationary for the past six hours.

Currently, the system is positioned near Puducherry approximately 30 km north of Cuddalore, 40 km east of Villupuram, and 120 km south-southwest of Chennai.

According to the latest forecast from the Chennai Regional Meteorological Centre, Fengal is expected to move slowly westwards and weaken into a deep depression within the next six hours.

Moderate rains are continuing in several places even today. According to the Met department, Mayilam in Villupuram district recorded a maximum of 50 cms of rainfall in the past 24 hours, this being the highest amount of rainfall since 2004.

In three places extremely heavy rainfall was recorded and In six places heavy rainfall was registered. In 20 places rainfall was heavy. The cyclonic circulation is moving at a slow pace of seven km per hour west northwest wards in the Coastline and is likely to turn into a deep depression near Puducherry.

Flash floods have been witnessed in Villupuram.and it might take another one or two days for the situation to clear. Power and internet services have been hit in Villupuram and surrounding areas.

The storm has brought unprecedented rainfall, with Puducherry recording 48.37 cm of rainfall over the last 24 hours – the highest 24-hour cumulative rainfall in 30 years, as per meteorological data.

Army personnel from the Chennai Garrison Battalion and National Disaster Response Force teams have rescued hundreds of residents stranded in inundated areas.

The cyclone has also caused extensive damage to infrastructure, with rampant tree felling disrupting electricity and internet services. Power supply remains to be restored in many affected regions.

In response to the crisis, all government and private colleges, as well as private schools, have been designated as relief shelters under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.

The District Collector has directed educational institutions to open their premises for relief operations immediately.

Puducherry Lieutenant Governor K. Kailashnathan inspected rain-affected areas, including Vaithikuppam seaside, Beach Road, Thengaithittu Harbour, Ariyapalayam over bridge, Sankarabharani river and Viliyannur EB station and reviewed ongoing relief measures.