Chennai, Nov 29 (PTI) The deep depression over the Southwest Bay of Bengal intensified into a cyclonic storm on Friday afternoon, the India Meteorological Department said on Friday.
The cyclonic storm, named 'Fengal' and pronounced as 'Feinjal' is likely to make a landfall on November 30 afternoon close to Puducherry with a wind speed, gusting upto 90 kmph.
Minister for Revenue and Disaster Management KKSSR Ramachandran held a meet at the state emergency operations centre here with senior officials to review preparatory and relief measures.
For November 30, the IMD has forecast isolated heavy to very heavy rain with extremely heavy rain at one or two places in Chennai, Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Villuppuram, Kallakurichi, Cuddalore districts and Puducherry. Also, heavy to very heavy rain is likely to occur at isolated places over Ranipet, Tiruvannamalai, Vellore, Perambalur, Ariyalur, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam districts and Karaikal area.
An IMD-Regional Meteorological Centre's bulletin issued here said: "Morning's deep depression over Southwest Bay of Bengal moved north-northwestwards, intensified into cyclonic storm Fengal (pronounced as Fenjal) and lay centred at 1430 hours IST of today, the 29th November 2024...260 km east of Nagapattinam, 270 km east-southeast of Puducherry and 300 km southeast of Chennai."
Further, it said: "It is likely to move west-northwestwards and cross north Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts between Karaikal and Mahabalipuram close to Puducherry as a cyclonic storm with a wind speed of 70-80 kmph gusting to 90 kmph during the afternoon 30th November."
Meanwhile, complying with an advisory, 4,153 boats have returned shore and 2,229 relief camps were ready for use if needed, the state government said.
As of now, a total of 471 people belonging to 164 families have been accommodated in six relief centres in Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam districts.
Boats, generators, motor pumps and all other necessary machinery and equipment are ready in districts and NDRF and state teams have been deployed wherever needed, including Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai, Tiruvarur, Cuddalore, Thanjavur, Chengelpet and Chennai. Senior officials assigned to supervise and coordinate related tasks with district authorities are stationed in their respective districts.
Chennai and nearby districts of Chengelpet, Kanchipuram and Tiruvallur and the delta districts including Mayiladuthurai, Nagappatinam and Tiruvarur witnessed light to moderate rainfall and a few places recorded heavy showers.