Cyclone Vardah: Ennore, Palaverkadu residents asked to move to safer places

Chennai/New Delhi [India], Dec. 12 (ANI): In the wake of cyclone Vardah, the Tamil Nadu Government has urged the people of Ennore and Palaverkadu to move to safer places. Due to cyclonic weather over the Chennai airport, the flights are being diverted and departures are delayed. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said that all precautions have been taken at Nuclear Power Plant-Kalpakkam to tackle cyclone Vardah. "All is well and plant operation is normal. Plant is in touch with IMD," the NDMA said. Indian Meteorological Department Additional Director General M. Mahapatra told ANI it is expected that the cyclone storm will move west wards and cross north Tamil Nadu and adjoining southern coast close to Chennai by this afternoon. "At the time of landfall, the winds will be 100-110 km/hour. This particular wind can lead to structural damage like breaking of tree branches, uprooting of trees, damage to telephone electric poles, damage to roads," he added. He said under the influence of this particular cyclone, there will be rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy rainfall at few places and extremely heavy rainfall over Chennai and Thiruvalur districts of Tamil Nadu and Nellore and Prakasam districts of Andhra Pradesh. "In addition to that, after the landfall there will be heavy rainfall over north interior Tamil Nadu districts. We are monitoring this particular cyclone continuously from its genesis from 7th onwards. Every three hours, bulletins are being issued at state-level and at central level to general media and public. We are issuing hourly updates on the current status and forecast," he added. Cyclone Vardah is centered over west central and adjoining southewest Bay of Bengal at about 180 km east north east of Chennai and 250 km east southeast of Nellore. The latest bulletin released by the Meteorological Department says the cyclone is likely to move west wards and weaken gradually while moving towards north Tamil Nadu and adjoining south Andhra coast and is likely to cross the coasts, close to Chennai as a cyclonic storm with a wind speed of 80 to 90 kmph to 100 kmph by this afternoon. At the time of the landfall, squally wind warning has been predicted for Thiruvallur and Kanchipuram districts of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Nellore districts of Andhra Pradesh. (ANI)