Cyclone Fengal Batters Puducherry with Heavy Rainfall and Strong Winds

Cyclone Fengal made landfall near Puducherry, bringing extremely heavy rainfall and strong winds up to 90 kmph. Isolated areas of north Tamil Nadu are also experiencing severe weather. The storm is moving west-southwestward and expected to weaken into a deep depression soon. Residents have been advised to stay indoors.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of extremely heavy rainfall in Puducherry on Sunday as Cyclone Fengal hit the coast on Saturday evening. Meteorologists have predicted that the Union Territory will continue to experience severe rains today, followed by moderate rainfall on December 2.

According to the IMD, isolated regions across north Tamil Nadu are bracing for "heavy to very heavy rainfall" today. Earlier updates indicated that wind speeds along north Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and adjacent south Andhra Pradesh coasts could reach 70-80 kilometers per hour, gusting up to 90 kmph. The stormy conditions are expected to persist until the night of November 30, gradually easing thereafter.

Fengal has crossed the North Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts, moving west-southwestward, and is projected to weaken into a deep depression within hours. The cyclone made landfall near Puducherry between 10:30 pm and 11:30 pm IST with winds reaching 90 kmph. Authorities have advised residents in affected areas to stay indoors and comply with safety instructions.

Meanwhile, people in vulnerable regions have been relocated to relief camps near Kalpakkam in Chengalpattu district as a precautionary measure in response to Cyclone Fengal's impact.

(With inputs from agencies.)