According to India Meteorological Department (IMD), cyclone Nirvar is likely to hit the coasts of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh by November 25. The depression over the Bay of Bengal has intensified into a deep depression.
In an update, the IMD said, “Cyclone Nirvar is very likely to cross Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts between Karaikal and Mamallapuram around Puducherry during the evening of November 25, 2020, as a severe cyclonic storm with a wind speed of 100-110 kmph gusting to 120 kmph.”
Both states and the Union Territory of Puducherry are on high alert. Twelve teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been pre-deployed with 18 on standby in TN, AP and Puducherry, according to a senior NDRF officer. The teams will help with the search and rescue operations.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami has said that all coastal areas in the state are on high alert and has requested everyone to remain indoors. People have been asked to keep their documents safe. Fishermen were advised not to venture out during this period.
Bus services to 11 districts of Tamil Nadu will be suspended from 1pm today. Trains plying across TN, have been cancelled either partially or completely for the next 2 days. Six trains have been cancelled and nine trains have been partially cancelled. There has been a warning given by the Met department stating that the cyclone is likely to make landfall at the speed of 120kmph. Andhra Pradesh is also on high alert with cyclone Nirvar likely to hit its coastal regions.
As per forecasts by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the potential cyclone is likely to move northwestwards and cross Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coast between Karaikal and Mahabalipuram on Wednesday afternoon.
According to Skymetweather, there may be heavy rain and thundershower activity over coastal areas of Tamil Nadu between November 23rd and 26th. Sea conditions will turn from rough to very rough along Tamil Nadu and South Andhra Pradesh coast during this period.
Tamil Nadu has been kept under a ‘red warning’ — which urges residents and authorities to take action — for Tuesday and Wednesday, due to likelihood of isolated extremely heavy rainfall. Puducherry, Tirupathi, and Nellore is said to receive heavy rains between November 25 and 26, while Pamban, Ramanathapuram, Karaikal, Pudukkottai, Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, and Cuddalore are said to receive flooding rains.
Popular weather blogger Pradeep John, who runs the blog — Tamil Nadu Weatherman, has charted out two possibilities for the cyclone, listing the districts that are bound to receive rainfall in its wake. While in one, the delta region is expected to receive extreme rains, in the other, Cuddalore-Puducherry-Villupuram belt will receive massive rains. Heavy rains in Chennai and its neighbouring areas is a constant in both scenarios.
