Cyclone Fengal: Warning For Tamil Nadu,Landfall Likely Today

It will cross the Tamil Nadu coast between Karaikal and Mamallapuram, the India Meteorological Department said, NDTV reported. With a wind speed of 70-80 km per hour with gusts up 90 kmph.

The weather office has forecast isolated heavy to very heavy rain with extremely heavy rain at one or two places in Chennai, Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Villuppuram, Kallakurichi, Cuddalore districts and Puducherry. Also, heavy to very heavy rain is likely to occur at isolated places over Ranipet, Tiruvannamalai, Vellore, Perambalur, Ariyalur, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam districts and Karaikal area.

"The deep depression over southwest Bay of Bengal moved north-northwest at 13 kph in the past six hours (and has) intensified into Cyclonic Storm Fengal... at 2.30 pm (on November 29) it lay 270 km east-southeast of Puducherry and 300 km southeast of Chennai," the IMD said.

"It is likely to move west-northwest and cross north Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts between Karaikal and Mamallapuram (but closer to Puducherry) as a Cyclonic Storm during the afternoon 20th November..."

Tamil Nadu minister for revenue and disaster management KKSSR Ramachandran held a meet at the state emergency operations centre here with senior officials to review preparatory and relief measures.

Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the Bay of Bengal till further notice. More than 4,000 boats have returned to shore and 2,229 relief camps were ready for use if needed, the state government said.

Dr S Balachandran, the Director of the Chennai Meteorological Centre, warned of moderate rainfall over northern Tamil Nadu and coastal districts, with some places likely to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall. One or two places will also receive extremely heavy rainfall, he said