Cyclone Mandous Latest Update: Heavy Rain Alert In Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Chennai; Schools Shut

Mandous, a cyclonic storm, is located roughly 530 km east-southeast of Karaikal. On Thursday, December 8, thirteen districts in Tamil Nadu received a red alert, and six National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams were also sent into action.

Rain warning for several areas in Chennai

The IMD has predicted that Mandous is about 600 kilometres away from Chennai and is travelling in a west-northwest direction. As a result, the following locations in Chennai are predicted to experience light rain over the next three hours: Mylapore, Egmore, Purasaivakkam, Thandaiyarpet, Velachery, Ayanavaram, Mambalam, Perambur, and Ambattur and some nearby neighbourhoods.

Other areas that will most likely receive light rainfall over the next three hours situated around Chennai are Chengalpattu, Maduravayal, Poovindavalli, Tirukalgunram, Thiruporur, Vandalur, Ambattur, Seyyur, Kundradthur, Maduranthagam and Uthiramerur.

Puducherry government is prepared for any emergency in case of a cyclone: CM Rangasamy

N Rangasamy, the chief minister of Puducherry, presided over a meeting on Wednesday to assess the territorial government's readiness in case of emergencies brought on by the expected torrential downpour in Karaikal and Puducherry caused by cyclonic storm Mandous. 

After the discussion, the Chief Minister spoke with reporters in his cabinet room and said that the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a heavy rainfall warning for the Puducherry and Karaikal districts due to Thursday's cyclonic storm over the Bay of Bengal.

Personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have arrived in Puducherry, and some teams have also been sent to Karaikal to provide relief and rehabilitation services as needed. He added that control rooms have been set up at the collectorates and that all agencies charged with taking precautionary measures have been ordered to be ready for any emergency.

The Chief Minister announced the opening of up to 238 relief centres, the distribution of food packages to 75,000 individuals, and the eventual evacuation of residents of low-lying districts to safer locations.

Rangasamy continued by saying that the legislators in the Union Territory have been advised to make sure that assistance is accessible wherever it is required and that marriage halls should also be used in the corresponding constituencies to house people.

He claimed that the department will be provided with the tools required to conduct rescue operations. The meeting was attended by the heads of every department, including the police, fire department, local government, power, and PWD. As a precaution, some private schools have set Thursday aside as a holiday.

Holidays declared in Tamil Nadu

Due to the anticipated rainfall on Thursday, December 8, schools in Thanjavur District and Thiruvarur District have both been closed.

Thiruvallur, Chennai, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram Villupuram, Cuddalore, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, Thiruvarur, Thanjavur, Perambalur, Ariyalur, Pudukottai and Ramanathapuram districts of Tamilnadu, as well as Puducherry & Karaikal, should expect isolated spots of light to moderate rain with thunderstorms and lightning. In the next few hours, isolated locations in Tamilnadu's Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Thoothukudi, Thirunelveli, and Kanyakumari districts are likely to see light to moderate rain.