Cyclone Mandous, a severe cyclonic storm, made landfall along the coast of Tamil Nadu, uprooting trees and dumping torrential rain on the southern state. The cyclone has now weakened to a well-marked low-pressure area.
"The depression (a remnant of the cyclonic storm "Mandous," pronounced "Man-Dous") has weakened into a well-marked low-pressure area over north interior Tamil Nadu and the surrounding neighborhoud," In the evening of Saturday, the IMD Chennai tweeted.
CPI MP Binoy Viswam has addressed a letter to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy criticising his administration's failure to handle the Mandous Cyclone in Andhra Pradesh.
Rivers overflowed in numerous sections of the KVBPuram Mandal on Saturday due to heavy rains in the region following Cyclone Mandous, submerging roads and disrupting traffic, news agency ANI reported.
At around 2 am, Cyclone Mandous, which means "treasure box" in Arabic, hit the Mahabalipuram coast, generating severe rain in some areas. Thirteen districts were on red alert. As the storm passed across the state, Kattupakkam, a Chennai suburb, received the most rain (16 cm).
As the cyclonic storm made landfall late Friday night and early Saturday morning, trees were uprooted and streets were flooded. According to the IMD, the city received 115.1 mm of rain in the 24 hours ending at 5.30 am Around 9 pm, Chennai, Tiruvallur, and Ranipet began to experience high surface winds of 50 to 60 kmph, according to S Balachandran, Additional Director-General of Meteorology, Chennai. Several coastal districts had moderate to severe rainfall and gale-force winds as a result of the cyclonic storm's entrance into the land.
Chennai traffic was disrupted in various areas, including Maduranthakam, East Coast Road, and Old Mahabalipuram Road. A total of 16 school and college districts have declared a rain vacation, and exams have been rescheduled. All state-run buses that had been suspended until 4 am have resumed service.
Heavy winds and rain from Cyclone Mandous forced the roof of a petrol station in Chennai's Egmore to fall last night. Strong winds also caused a tree on the property to fall.
Due to severe weather, 13 domestic and three international flights were cancelled at Chennai International Airport prior to the landfall. "Passengers are advised to consult with the relevant airline(s) for additional updates," Chennai International Airport tweeted.
In Tamil Nadu, up to 16,000 police officers and 1,500 home guards have been deployed for security, relief, and rescue operations, while a 40-member TN State Disaster Response Force team, as well as 12 District Disaster Response Force teams, are on standby, as per a report by Indian Express.
M K Stalin, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, stated that all precautionary precautions have been done in light of Cyclone Mandous. "The government has taken all precautionary steps, and officers are monitoring the situation on a regular basis," Stalin said on Friday. He reviewed the state disaster operation centre in Chepauk and stated that IAS officers had been chosen in each district to monitor relief efforts. The chief minister also urged the public to obey orders and cooperate with the administration.
Because of the severe winds, power was cut off in sections of Chennai and neighbouring districts. Transportation services are still interrupted. From 10 pm on Friday, the Chennai Police banned vehicular traffic along the East Coast Road (ECR). Families in low-lying areas were relocated to relief centres.
A recently constructed wooden ramp for the disabled at Chennai's Marina beach was damaged by high waves caused by Cyclone Mandous on Friday morning. According to officials, the 263-metre-long, 3-metre-wide ramp was built at a cost of Rs 1.14 crore using a combination of numerous types of wood, including Brazilian wood. Udhayanidhi Stalin, son of Chepauk MLA and Chief Minister MK Stalin, inaugurated it.
In case of an emergency, the Tamil Nadu government has issued the following phone numbers: 044-25619206/07/08 (Chennai Corporation), 1913