Cyclone Michaung to make landfall in coastal Andhra by Tuesday
Cyclone Michaung, currently brewing over the Bay of Bengal, is anticipated to make its landfall between the Machilipatnam and Nellore districts of Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday morning. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast wind speeds might reach 100kmph, with Chennai and its neighboring districts receiving heavy rain when the cyclone nears the coastal areas of Tamil Nadu.
IMD issues alerts for coastal regions
The weather office has issued a "red alert" for Tamil Nadu's Tiruvallur district for Monday, stating that it may receive extremely heavy downpours of 21cm or more in 24 hours in one or two of its regions. Earlier, the IMD issued an "orange alert" for Sunday and Monday for Chennai and seven more Tamil Nadu districts, predicting 12-20cm of rain in 24 hours.
IMD official provides details on cyclonic storm's trajectory
IMD Deputy Director General S Balachandran said the system may intensify into a deep depression on Saturday and a cyclonic storm on Sunday. While it might reach south Andhra and north Tamil Nadu coast by Monday afternoon, the cyclonic storm may start moving northwards on Tuesday afternoon. "When the storm nears the coast, squally winds may reach 60-70kmph, gusting to 80kmph in Chennai on Monday," Times of India quoted Balachandran as saying.
Schools in Chennai to remain shut amid heavy rainfall alert
Meanwhile, schools in Karaikal, Yanam, and Puducherry regions will remain closed on Monday amid the cyclonic storm. Furthermore, the Chennai District Collectorate announced a holiday for government schools and government-aided schools on Saturday and Sunday. It also stated that the decision on holiday for private schools and colleges will be made within the next day, depending on the rainfall.
Disaster response teams ready for Cyclone Michaung
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has made 18 teams available to Andhra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry amid the heavy rain alerts due to the oncoming cyclonic storm. While another 10 NDRF teams are kept ready, relief and rescue squads of the Coast Guard, Navy, and Army have been kept on standby ahead of Michaung's landfall.
