Chennai weather today: Tamil Nadu, Puducherry brace for heavy rain ahead of Cyclone Fengal, schools shut | 10 updates

Cyclone ‘Fengal’, which is intensifying into a cyclonic storm after midnight on Thursday, is expected to bring heavy to moderate rains in the coastal districts of Tamil Nadu for the next 2-3 days.

The deep depression over the southwest Bay of Bengal would move nearly north-northwestwards, skirting Sri Lanka coast and intensify into a cyclonic storm during the next 6 hours, according to S Balachandran, Director, Regional Meteorological Centre.

By the morning of November 30, it will cross the north Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts between Karaikal and Mahabalipuram.

Here are top 10 updates on Chennai weather:

• The deep depression, which lay about 300 km southeast of Nagapattinam, 400 km southeast of Puducherry and 480 km southeast of Chennai, will become a cyclonic storm tonight or early tomorrow morning, but would weaken as a deep depression while crossing the coast between Karaikal and Mahabalipuram.
• "To cross the north Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts between Karaikal and Mahabalipuram around the morning of November 30, as a deep depression with a wind speed of 50-60 kmph gusting to 70 kmph," a bulletin from the weather office said.
• Tamil Nadu and Puducherry braced for very heavy rain with the possibility of the weather system crossing the coasts near Chennai.
• There is a possibility of marginal intensification of the deep depression into a cyclonic storm with wind speeds of 65-75 kmph gusting to 85 kmph over Southwest Bay of Bengal, Balachandran said.

• “There are many factors responsible for the cyclone to become weak. The wind speed is higher in the shear region but lower near the core. There is a marginal chance for the deep depression to develop into a cyclone,” he said while briefing reporters about the impending cyclone.
• The weakened system would not allow the formation of clouds and reduced the chances of cyclone formation, he said. 
• For land areas, strong winds reaching a speed of 50-60 kmph and gusting to 70 kmph are likely to prevail over the coastal areas north of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal, while squally winds with a speed 55 kmph to 65 kmph gusting to 75 kmph is likely to prevail over TN coast, adjoining Comorin area and Gulf of Mannar.
• Meanwhile, the Indian Coast Guard rescued six fishermen from a village in Cuddalore district following a request from the state government. The fishers had ventured into the sea on boats and their vessels sank due to the rough weather.

• The National Disaster Response Force team inspected the vulnerable and low-lying areas in T R Patinam, Karaikal, focusing on risk assessment and safety measures, the NDRF said.

Schools closed in view of heavy rainfall

Schools in at least 11 districts of Tamil Nadu- Chennai, Chengalpattu, Cuddalore, Mayiladuthurai and Nagapattinam - are likely to remain closed today, November 29 due to heavy rainfall warning.

According to reports, in Chennai and Chengalpattu only schools will remain closed, while in other districts like Cuddalore, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, Thiruvarur, Thanjavur, Thiruvallur, Villupuram, and Puducherry, along with Karaikal, other educational institutions will also be shut.

In Puducherry and Karaikal, all government and government-aided schools, private schools and colleges will remain closed on November 29 and 30, said Education Minister A Namassivayam.