Flight operations at an airport were halted due to heavy rainfall caused by a tropical cyclone affecting parts of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry in South India, resulting in uprooted trees and flooded roads. Cyclone Fengal was located about 120 km east-northeast of Puducherry and was moving west-northwest at a speed of 13 km/h, according to the Indian Meteorological Department.
The cyclone is expected to make landfall near Puducherry on Saturday evening, with wind speeds projected to reach 70-80 km/h, gusting up to 90 km/h. As a result, all flights at Chennai International Airport were suspended until 7 PM local time, with multiple flights bound for Chennai being diverted due to crosswinds.
The airport arranged special bus services to ensure safe and reliable transportation for passengers amid the severe weather. Reports indicated that a man was electrocuted at an ATM in Chennai during the heavy rain. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin announced a holiday for all educational institutions, encouraged companies to allow their employees to work from home, and suspended public transportation on certain roads in eastern Chennai.
A red alert has been issued in at least seven districts of Tamil Nadu, with forecasts predicting heavy to very heavy rainfall in the next 24 hours. Meanwhile, the adverse weather from a deep depression over the southwest Bay of Bengal has resulted in the deaths of 15 people in Sri Lanka, affecting over 450,000 individuals due to floods, strong winds, and landslides, according to the country’s disaster management center.
During cyclone season, which runs from April to December each year, severe storms frequently impact the coasts of India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, causing significant loss of life and property.
