Satellite images of cyclone Nivar and its trajectory. | @Indiametdept | Photo credit: Twitter
Key points
- The National Crisis Management Committee on Tuesday ordered all concerned authorities to continue working with the goal of zero loss of life and the early restoration of normalcy in the affected areas.
- So far, 30 NDRF teams have been deployed to Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Andhra Pradesh, with 20 more on standby for immediate deployment.
Chennai: A ‘deep depression’ in the Bay of Bengal poses a major threat to the coastal fringes of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, along with Andhra Pradesh, as Cyclone ‘Nivar’ is expected to further intensify into a severe cyclonic storm in the next six hours and then into a “very severe cyclonic storm” in the next 12 hours.
Nivar is the second cyclone to develop in the Bay of Bengal this year after Cyclone Amphan wreaked havoc in West Bengal in May after becoming a ‘super cyclonic storm’.
“It is very likely to cross the shores of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry between Karaikal and Mamallapuram around Puducherry during the afternoon of November 25 as a very severe cyclonic storm with a wind speed of 120-130 kilometers per hour with gusts of 145 km / h “, India Meteorological Department (IMD), said CEO Mrutunjay Mohapatra.
The National Crisis Management Committee, headed by Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba, on Tuesday ordered all concerned authorities to continue working with the goal of zero loss of life and the early restoration of normalcy in the affected areas, including the electrical and telecommunications networks.
Meanwhile, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) said its teams are fully prepared to face any eventuality. SN Pradhan, NDRF director general, said 30 force teams have so far been deployed to all three states, with 20 more on standby for immediate deployment if the need arises. The force has also stationed some reserve equipment in Guntur (Andhra Pradesh), Thrissur (Kerala) and Mundli (Odisha).
Tamil Nadu’s chief minister, Edappadi K Palaniswami, declared a public holiday in the state on Wednesday, while the Puducherry administration imposed Section 144 from 9 p.m. Tuesday to 6 a.m. on November 26 (Thursday).
Cyclone Nivar Trail
The cyclone is expected to cross the shores of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry between Karaikal and Mamallapuram on Wednesday night.
The cyclone is expected to bring strong winds and heavy rain as well. IMD issued a red alert for the coast and inland of northern Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal, for Wednesday.
The meteorological department predicted isolated activity of extremely heavy rains in the coastal and northern inland districts of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry – Pudukottai, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Karaikal, Nagapattinam, Cuddalore, Ariyalur and Perabalu – on Tuesday, and Kadalur, Kallacherry, Puducheri , Tiruvannamalam, Chengalpattu to Ariyalur, Perambalur and Karaikal districts on Wednesday.
Andhra Pradesh’s Nellore and Chittoor districts are also expected to see heavy rains on Wednesday. Rayalaseema and southeast Telangana are likely to experience thunderstorms on November 26.
