A man runs for cover during rains in Kolkata. Photo Courtesy: AP.
Heavy rains batter TN as cyclone closes in
Wed-May 19, 2010
Chennai / Press Trust of India
Heavy rains battered the coastal areas of north Tamil Nadu on Wednesday, as cyclone 'Laila' further intensified and moved to lay centered in the Bay of Bengal around 190 km east-northeast of Chennai and is expected to cross the Andhra Pradesh coast on Thursday.
The cyclonic storm over southwest and adjoining westcentral Bay of Bengal moved slightly northwards and lay centered at about 190 km east-northeast of Chennai at 5.30 AM, bringing heavy rains in several places, including the city, since Tuesday night, Met department officials said in Chennai.
Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea.
The system is likely to intensify further and move in a northwesterly to northerly direction and cross Andhra coast between Ongole and Visakhapatnam by the early hours of Thursday.
Cautionary signal No 7 (the highest intensity) has been hoisted in Kalingapattinam, Gangavaram, Kakinada, Visakapattinam, and Machillipattinam ports in Andhra Pradesh and No 3 (medium intensity) at all ports in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, they said.
Under the influence of the system, north coastal Tamil Nadu and coastal Andhra Pradesh are likely to experience widespread rainfall with scattered heavy to very heavy falls (25 cms or more) and isolated extremely heavy falls during the next 48 hours starting Wednesday morning.
A Rameswaram report said over 140 boats, including an Indian Coastguard vessel and two boats of the Coastal Security Group of Tamil Nadu police, suffered heavy damage as strong wind lashed the Pamban and Mandapam Coast last night.
Fortysix country boats were almost reduced to planks as strong wind started battering the coast from 11.45 pm. The country boats anchored at nearby Pamban suffered heavy damage, as they were tossed and dashed against each other under the impact of the gale force wind.
About 100 mechanised boats anchored at Mandapam Jetty also suffered heavy damage, officials said.
Gale force wind with speed reaching 65-75 kmph is likely along and off Andhra Pradesh coast during the period and it may increase to 115-125 kmph at the time of landfall of the cyclone, the officials said.
Squally winds with speed reaching 50-60 kmph is likely along and off north Tamil Nadu coast during the next 24 hours.
Sea condition will be very high to phenomenal along and off Andhra Pradesh coast and very rough along and off north Tamil Nadu coast.
Chennai and adjoining areas received eight cm of rainfall during the last 24 hours ending 8 am on Wednesday. The rains also brought respite to the people from the sweltering heat as the mercury plummeted to 25 degrees Celsius on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the Madurai passenger train which was to leave Rameswaram at 11.45 pm on Tuesday left at 1.30 am.
http://newsx.com/story/78114
Cyclone 'Laila' to bring heavy rains to TN
Tue-May 18, 2010
New Delhi / Press Trust of India
Coastal areas of north Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh are expected to witness heavy rains and very strong winds, as cyclone 'Laila' intensified in the Bay of Bengal about 700 km south-east of Chennai.
"The current environmental conditions and weather models suggest that the system is likely to intensify further and move in a west-northwesterly direction towards Andhra Pradesh coast," an advisory issued by the India Meteorological Department said on Tuesday.
The weather office has warned that gale force wind with speed reaching 65-75 kmph was likely to commence along and off Andhra Pradesh coast from tonight.
"Fishermen are advised not venture into the open sea," the advisory said citing rough sea conditions.
The weather office said experts were constantly tracking the path of the cyclone and state governments concerned have been informed so that they could plan their response accordingly.
Monsoon watchers were closely monitoring the impact of cyclone Laila on the seasonal rainfall, which began with showers in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Last year, cyclone Aila had hit parts of Orissa and West Bengal soon after the onset of monsoon and sucked moisture from the atmosphere thereby delaying the progress on the rainfall further.
http://newsx.com/story/78066