Cyclone Michaung live updates: Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu are on high alert with severe storm, Cyclone Michaung, expected to make landfall today. Both states have been hit by heavy rains and thunderstorms in the last 24 hours. Five people died in rain-related incidents in Chennai. Two people died of electrocution while one was killed after a tree fell on him in the upmarket Besant Nagar area of the city, police said.
In Chennai, cars were swept away as floodwater flowed through the streets, while its airport, one of the busiest in India, shut operations until Tuesday morning.
A severe cyclonic storm has the potential to cause uprooting of small and medium trees, large-scale damage to hutments and mud houses, and partial damage to telephone and electric poles.
Here are the LIVE updates on Cyclone Michaung and Chennai Rains:
Raipur and parts of Chhattisgarh received light rain due to Cyclone Michaung, which crossed coastal south Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday, bringing down the temperature, the Met department said, reported news agency PTI. Durg, Bilaspur, Bastar, and Raipur divisions received light showers.
The Telangana government on Tuesday directed the Collectors of districts where heavy rain is forecast due to severe cyclonic storm Michaung to be on alert and send a team of NDRF each to two districts.
State Disaster Management department Secretary Rahul Bojja held a tele-conference with the Collectors of the districts which are expected to receive heavy rain.
The cyclone made landfall with a maximum sustained wind speed of 90-100 km per hour, gusting to 110 km per hour. Officials said the landfall process will continue for about three hours.
Cyclone Michaung landfall has started near Bapatla on Andhra Pradesh coast after causing rain mayhem in Tamil Nadu. So far, at least eight people have died in rain-related incidents in Chennai.
Indian cricket team spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is a resident of Chennai. He shared a video of damaged road. There was a huge hole in the middle of it as rain water gushed in.
Cyclone Michaung landfall starts on Andhra coast after rain mayhem in Tamil Nadu. A severe cyclonic storm has the potential to cause uprooting of small and medium trees, large-scale damage to hutments and mud houses, and partial damage to telephone and electric poles.
As Cyclone Michaung continues to wreak havoc in Tamil Nadu and Chennai city faces massive waterlogging, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi said that he was depressed by it and urged Congress leaders and workers to come forward to help.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin said that the rains received during Cyclone period have exceeded what the state has received in 2015, but the damage has been less this time.
"Even after receiving historical rains, the damages are less compared to the previous times. The rains received during Cyclone Michaung exceeded what we received in 2015 when the floods were artificial due to the release of water from Sembarambakkam Lake but now it is a natural flood," he said.
IndiGo airlines said that 550 flights have been cancelled since heavy rains started in Chennai yesterday morning. This in turn resulted in over 1,000 flights being affected as a knock-on effect, the airlines said.
In its latest update, the Indian Meteorological Department said that Michaung will make landfall during the next four hours wind speeds of 90-100 kmph.
Cyclone Michaung, which is swirling over the Bay of Bengal, is set to make landfall near Bapatla on the Andhra Pradesh coast, after causing rain mayhem in Tamil Nadu. So far, at least eight people have died in rain-related incidents in Chennai.
Nearly 900 people living in villages along the southern coast of Andhra Pradesh have been evacuated ahead of Cyclone Michaung's landfall. The storm is expected to hit Bapatla district within hours, residents have been advised against going outdoors.
Taiwan's Foxconn and Pegatron halted Apple iPhone production at their facilities near Chennai due to heavy rains, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Monday.
North coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry are expected to experience light to moderate rainfall in most places and isolated heavy rainfall on Tuesday morning, decreasing thereafter, according to the latest IMD bulletin.
Chennai Airport had been shut down on Monday after severe waterlogging on Monday ahead of Cyclone Michaung's landfall. The airport today said that all arrival and departure operations have now resumed.
Cyclone Michaung, which lay centred over the west coast of the Bay of Bengal, off south Andhra Pradesh and adjoining north Tamil Nadu coasts, is likely to cross the south Andhra Pradesh coast between Nellore and Machilipatnam at 11am today.
Eight people have died in Chennai due to rain-related incidents since the downpour began on Monday morning, Chennai police said. Two people died of electrocution while one was killed after a tree fell on him in the upmarket Besant Nagar area of the city.
Cyclone Michaung In Chennai: Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh are on high alert with a severe storm, Cyclone Michaung, expected to make landfall in the next 24 hours. The cyclone will remain severe till December 6, the IMD has warned.
The Indian Railways has geared up its entire machinery in a big way to ensure and manage smooth and safe railway operations in the areas likely to be affected by the cyclonic storm 'Michaung'.
The Indian Railways, as part of its preparedness for cyclone-related disaster management, has set up an emergency control cell at the divisional/HQ level with officers from operating, commercial, engineering, electrical, signal/telecommunications, security, etc. branches in each shift to monitor around the clock and take necessary action in connection with train operations.
The Chennai Meteorological Centre forecast moderate rainfall, light thunderstorms and lightning in ten districts of Tamil Nadu for Tuesday morning
With severe Cyclone Michaung poised for landfall shortly, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has directed officials to be on high alert for taking up relief measures.