Cyclone mandous

 A number of flights were cancelled before Cyclone Mandous made landfall; portions of Tamil Nadu saw severe rain.

   Around December 9 at midnight or in the early hours of December 10, Mandous is predicted to make landfall anywhere between Puducherry and Sriharikota, maybe around Mahabalipuram.

      CHENNAI: As cyclonic storm "Mandous" moves closer to the State's coastline, some areas of Tamil Nadu are experiencing mild to moderate rainfall, with others seeing heavy rains on Friday. The India Meteorological Department announced on Friday that it will begin to cross the shore close to here at midnight.

   Rainfall totals of 7 cm were recorded in the morning at some meteorological stations in and around Chennai; in other areas, it was light to moderate.

  The departures of a number of planes from Chennai have been cancelled starting today at 6 PM to midnight. However, trains are running, including suburban services.

Due to waterlogging in a number of regions, bus services are being affected.

  Several areas will be closed today and on Saturday for classes at schools and institutions.

The IMD said that Doppler weather radars are keeping an eye on the cyclone, which on December 9 weakened into a cyclonic storm after less than 24 hours as a severe cyclonic storm.

HIGHLIGHTS

          1. When is it likely to reach land? Mandous is expected to make landfall on December 9 between Puducherry and Sriharikota, near Mahabalipuram, sometime between midnight and early Saturday morning.

With a maximum continuous wind speed of 65 to 75 kmph and gusts to 85 kmph, it is extremely likely to move as a cyclonic storm.

         2. In the fishing villages of Pillaichavadi in Puducherry, more than ten homes were destroyed.

         3. High floods at Thevaneri near Mahabalipuram in Chennai caused portions of resorts to be swept away.

        4. Puducherry is on high alert: In the nearby Puducherry, a storm warning signal flag number five has been flown at the Puducherry port, and fishermen have been instructed not to enter the water.

         5. ATR planes departing from Tuticorin, Cuddapah, Mysuru, Bengaluru, Madurai, Vijayawada, Mangaluru, Calicut, Hubli, Kannur, and Trichirappali are among the more than 25 flights from Chennai that have been cancelled.

 Once the wind speed hits 20 knots, operations may be terminated, according to Chennai Airport (37.04mph). In that situation, a travel alert and NOTAM will be issued.

Airports in Bangalore and Hyderabad will assign bays owing to airline delays from Chennai.

          6. Corporation prepares pumps and saws: 272 saws, 45 earthmovers for each region, 115 tipper lorries, and hydraulic saws are ready to clear trees or heavy branches that may fall.

          7. Helplines: 044-25619206/07/08 and 1913 (Chennai Corporation).

          8. Control room built at Prakasam Collectorate: The Prakasam district government in Andhra Pradesh has set up an emergency special control room with a toll-free number of 1077 and a phone number of 08592-241400.

           9. The TN Transport Department will not operate buses on the Mahabalipuram and ECR routes, however bus service to Chennai, Chengalpattu, Kanchipuram, Tiruvallur, Cuddalore, and Villupuram would continue as usual, according to the Transport Department.

   There won't be any buses running between Mahabalipuram and East Coast Road for two hours before and after the landfall.

             10. Teams from the National Disaster Response Force were prepared; they were stationed in ten districts, including Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, and Cuddalore in the Cauvery delta area, Chennai, and its three neighbouring districts.

             11. 100 cubic seconds of water at a rate of 100 cubic feet per second were discharged from the Chembarambakkam and Red Hills reservoirs. the 732 cusec catchment inflow on Friday at 4 p.m.

             12. Bengaluru's four-day rainfall forecast indicates that it will rain until December 12 as a result of Cyclone "Mandous." On December 11 and 12, Karnataka's coastal and northern interior regions are anticipated to see heavy rain, lightning, and thunder. Rain will fall in Chikkamagalur, Kolar, Mysuru, and Tumakuru. Rain will fall in both Karnataka's north and south districts, including Bagalkot, Kalaburagi, Raichur, Vijayapura, and Yadgir.

              13. The recently erected ramp for the disabled at Marina Beach was destroyed. The 263-meter ramp, which was dedicated on November 27, cost Rs 1.14 crores to build. It was constructed so that those with impairments may access the sea without having to manoeuvre through the dunes of the beach.