Cyclone Vardah uprooted thousands of trees and many electricity poles in Chennai
Highlights
- 10 dead after Cyclone Vardah hit Tamil Nadu coast on Monday
- Schools in Chennai, affected areas shut today; flight operations resume
- Nearly 20,000 people have been evacuated from low lying areas
Flights have resumed in Chennai and power has been restored in the city, which is picking itself up on Tuesday after Cyclone Vardah battered the Tamil Nadu coast on Monday, killing 10 people and forcing thousands to flee their homes. The cyclone has weakened after crossing land, but the Met office has forecast heavy rain in the next 12 hours and schools and colleges are closed for a second day today in Chennai and neighbouring districts.
Here are the 10 latest developments in this big story
Cyclone Vardah had struck the coast on Monday afternoon, making landfall about 15 km from Chennai, bringing down about 4,000 trees and many power lines. Authorities are this morning clearing Chennai's roads of uprooted trees and many of the city's arterial roads are still flooded.
Four people have died in Chennai, two each in Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur, one in Villupuram and one in Nagapattinam. Tamil Nadu chief minister O Pannerselvam has announced compensation.
In Andhra Pradesh, two people have died in Chittoor district as heavy rain lashed the region, news agency IANS quoted officials as saying. Authorities in Nellore district declared holiday for educational institutions on Tuesday.
Mr Pannerselvam said more than 10,000 people have been evacuated from near the sea. Over 9,000 people were moved to relief camps in Andhra Pradesh.
"My prayers are with all those people who are affected due to adverse weather conditions caused by #CycloneVardah. Stay safe," Prime Minister Narendra Modi has tweeted "Centre, @ndmaindia is working closely with local administrations & army for safety of life and property."
Flight operations that were suspended at the Chennai airport on Monday, resumed this morning, airport officials confirmed. Suburban train services remained suspended on Monday.
Power supply, suspended as a precaution on Monday amid the strong winds and heavy rain that the cyclone brought, was restored in some parts of the affected areas but many areas still remain without power on Tuesday. Vardah toppled many electricity poles and there are power cuts in some areas.
Cyclone Vardah had hit the coast with a wind speed of 120 kmph, tearing off hoardings and toppling cars in Chennai. Glass panels blew off the facade of a five-star hotel in Chennai, while in Andhra Pradesh, an oil tanker tipped over on a highway.
The Met office has forecast heavy rain in parts of Tamil Nadu and also in Karnataka where the cyclone, which has turned into a depression, reached this morning.
Light showers were reported from Bengaluru this morning. Cyclone Vardah will pass over to south Goa on Wednesday.
Cyclone Vardah: Helpline NumbersPost a comment