Cyclone Gaja: Tamil Nadu, Puducherry on alert; 30,500 rescue personnel on standby

Cyclone Gaja updates: The IMD has warned of major damage to thatched huts and houses. Rooftops may blow off; damage to power and communication lines is also expected.

Image tweeted by @PIB_India

New Delhi: The state administrations of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry have braced for the ‘severe cyclonic’ storm Gaja, which is likely to make landfall between November 13 to November 15, bringing heavy rainfall coupled with strong gales of wind. The MeT office has said that Gaja will cross Tamil Nadu coast between Cuddalore and Pamban on November on Thursday. It is likely to intensify within the next 24 hours. The state administration of Tamil Nadu has put its machinery on alert and kept on standby 30,500 rescue personnel. The Indian Meteorological Department has also advised a complete suspension of fishing operations along and off north Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. The cyclonic storm ‘GAJA’ lay centered about 750 km east of Chennai over Bay of Bengal. It is likely to weaken gradually and cross Tamil Nadu coast between Pamban and Cuddalore as a cyclonic storm,  during 15th November forenoon, the IMD said in its latest bulletin.

The CS ‘GAJA’ over Bay of Bengal lay centred at 0530 hrs IST of 13th Nov, 2018 near lat 13.2°N and long 87.2°E, about 750 km east of Chennai (Tamil Nadu) . It is likely to weaken gradually and cross Tamil Nadu coast between Pamban and Cuddalore as a CS during 15th Nov forenoon. pic.twitter.com/ORTuG9PRF8

— India Met. Dept. (@Indiametdept) November 13, 2018

The warnings prompted Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami to call for a high-level meeting at the Secretariat of Ministers and top officials to review the preparedness in the wake of the storm and forecast of heavy rainfall. 30,500 rescue personnel were kept on standby and arrangements have been made for food and shelter at relief centres for those in low lying areas.  A total of 4,399 locations have been marked as vulnerable. The NDRF amd SDRF forces have also been made ready for the emergency. A high alert has been issued in the vulnerable coastal districts including Cuddalore and Nagapattinam. As per IMD forecast, rainfall is likely to happen at most places in Tamil Nadu on November 14 and extremely heavy (over 20 cm) in isolated places in northern parts of the state the next day. The sea condition is likely to be rough to very rough from Tuesday morning while the wind speed is expected to up further touching 110 kmph. The areas that are likely to be flooded by a storm surge of height 1.0 meter are low lying areas of Nagappattinam, Thanjavur, Pudukkottai and Ramanathapuram districts of Tamil Nadu and Karaikal district of Puducherry. Major damage to thatched huts and houses may take place. Rooftops may blow off; damage to power and communication lines is expected. It has also been warned that standing crops could also be hit and low lying areas may face sea water intrusion. watch weather report here: