Cyclone Fengal: IMD advises fishermen not to venture into sea

Chengalpattu (Tamil Nadu) [India], November 30 (ANI): Cyclone 'Fengal' is expected to make landfall in the evening, and the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has advised the fishermen not to venture into the sea due to the high waves and turbulent conditions.
Chennai witnessed incessant heavy to moderate rainfall from last night till this morning, which has caused rough sea conditions with strong winds.
The government authorities advised the public not to visit beaches in the metropolis, including Marina Beach, Pattinapakkam and Edward Elliot Beach. The tourist spots in Puducherry have been closed as a precautionary measure, owing to the cyclone Fengal.
According to the IMD, the cyclone will hit the coastal areas of north Tamil Nadu today evening and a red alert was issued yesterday for various parts of southern states including the south Andhra Pradesh coastal areas. Due to the cyclone Fengal's impact, many coastal areas witnessed changes in weather with gusty winds and rains.
The cyclone 'Fengal' over Southwest Bay of Bengal moved north-northwestwards with a speed of seven kilometres per hour during the past six hours, according to the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) in Tamil Nadu's Chennai. The regional centre further informed that intense rain spells over North Tamil Nadu coastal districts are likely to continue in the coming hours.
"The Cyclonic Storm 'FENGAL' over Southwest Bay of Bengal moved north-northwestwards with a speed of 07 kmph during past 6 hours and lay centred at 0230 hours IST of today, the 30th November 2024 over the same region near latitude 11.9°N and longitude 81.5°E, about 370 km north of Trincomalee, 210 km northeast of Nagappattinam, 180 km east of Puducherry and 190 km southeast of Chennai," the regional meteorological centre posted on X.
The cyclone is likely to cross north Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coats between Karaikal and Mahabalipuram (near Puducherry), the RMC in Chennai said.
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu's Ranipet district and its surrounding areas have been receiving moderate rainfall since last night. The cold winds have been blowing in Ranipet district since yesterday morning. The Walajapet and various surrounding areas of the Ranipet district have been witnessing continuous moderate rainfall since last night.
After warnings issued by the IMD regarding heavy rainfall, a holiday has been declared for 9 districts.
Earlier, the Kanchipuram district administration announced a holiday for Saturday in schools and colleges. This order was issued for all educational institutions, including private ones, in the district on November 30. (ANI)