With 5,000 Relief Camps & 807 Water Pumps, Tamil Nadu Geared Up To Face Cyclone 'Mandous'

Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry are bracing for the cyclonic storm ‘Mandous’ over Southwest Bay of Bengal that has now moved nearly west-northwestwards with a speed of 6/kmph over the past 6 hours, and lay centered at 5:30 am over Southwest Bay of Bengal about 500km east-southeast of Karaikal and about 580 km southeast of Chennai.

As per the latest update by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), cyclone ‘Mandous’, that intensified from a deep depression to a cyclonic storm in the wee hours of Thursday, is “very likely to move west-northwestwards and cross north Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and adjoining south Andhra Pradesh coast between Puducherry and Sriharikota around midnight on December 9.

“It is very likely to move west-northwestwards and cross north Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and adjoining south Andhra Pradesh coast between Puducherry and Sriharikota with a maximum sustained wind speed of 65-75 kmph gusting to 85 kmph around mid night of 09th December,” IMD said.

Deep Depression Turns Into Cyclonic Storm ‘Mandous’

The weather department in a tweet in the early hours of Thursday had said that the deep depression over Southwest and adjoining Southeast Bay of Bengal intensified into a cyclonic storm.

“Deep Depression over Southwest and adjoining Southeast Bay of Bengal intensified into a Cyclonic Storm “Mandous” pronounced as “Man-Dous” (Cyclone Alert for north Tamilnadu, Puducherry and south Andhra Pradesh coasts): Yellow Message,” the IMD had said.

Tamil Nadu on Alert:

Tamil Nadu’s disaster management team has set up over 5000 relief camps across the state to relocate people from low-lying areas, according to the government. The Chennai civid body has prepared 169 relief centres and 807 water pumps in flood-prone areas.

Puducherry Prepared

Chief Minister N Rangasamy chaired a meeting on Wednesday to review the territorial government’s preparedness in case of exigencies arising due to heavy rainfall expected to pound Puducherry and Karaikal under the influence of a cyclonic storm over Bay of Bengal.

Speaking to reporters, the Chief Minister said the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued heavy rainfall warning in Puducherry and Karaikal regions under the influence of a cyclonic storm over Bay of Bengal on Thursday.

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel had arrived in Puducherry with some teams deputed to Karaikal for carrying out relief and rehabilitation work according to requirements.

As many as 238 relief centres were opened, food packets to 75,000 people would be distributed and wherever necessary people living in low-lying areas would be evacuated to safer places, the Chief Minister said.

Rain Alert for Parts of Tamil Nadu, Andhra and Puducherry

Parts of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry are bracing for the impact of cyclonic storm ‘Mandous’ that is expected to bring heavy to very heavy rainfall over the next few days to some areas.

As the weather phenomenon approached, the IMD on Thursday issued a heavy rainfall alert for north Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and south Andhra Pradesh coasts.

According to the weather department, light to moderate rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy falls at isolated places very likely over coastal Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal and isolated heavy rainfall over adjoining areas of south coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema on Thursday.

The rainfall activities are likely to reduce thereafter. However, some areas in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Andhra Pradesh will likely witness heavy rains on December 10.

Squally winds are expected over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and south Andhra Pradesh till December 10.