Fear of Michong cyclone, SDRF team prepared for impact of Tamil Nadu

CHENNAI: The over 100-member state disaster response team, which arrived in Tamil Nadu’s Kanchipuram district on Sunday, is gearing up to face any imminent threat as Cyclone Michong is expected to hit coastal Andhra on December 5.
The cyclone is forming in the Bay of Bengal and is likely to cross the coasts of northern Tamil Nadu and southern Andhra Pradesh around the evening of December 4.
The India Meteorological Department informed on Sunday that the deep depression over the south-west Bay of Bengal has transformed into Cyclonic Storm Michong in the same region.
“The deep depression over the south-west Bay of Bengal has intensified into a cyclonic storm Michong. At 0530 hrs IST on December 3 it lay about 300 km east-southeast of Puducherry, 310 km southeast of Chennai, 440 km southeast of Nellore and 550 km south-southeast of the same region. Machilipatnam,” Indian Metrological Department posted on X.

Earlier, IMD had said that Cyclone Michong will hit coastal Andhra on December 5. “Cyclone Michong, forming over the Bay of Bengal, is likely to exit the city and make landfall between Nellore and Machilipatnam on Tuesday morning with winds reaching speeds of up to 100 kmph,” the IMD said.
The India Meteorological Department has issued a cyclone alert for Andhra Pradesh and adjoining northern Tamil Nadu coasts for the next 12 hours.

The release further said that the cyclonic storm will cross the South Andhra Pradesh coast with a maximum sustained speed of 80-90 kmph to 100 kmph during the afternoon of December 5. Following the IMD’s cyclone warning in the Bay of Bengal, local warning signal number III has been hoisted in Chennai, Cuddalore and Ennore ports to alert people.

The cyclonic storm hovering over the south-west Bay of Bengal prompted meteorological officials to issue warnings of widespread rainfall for several areas of southern and eastern India. The intensity of rain is going to increase from today, there will be rain at most places and heavy to very heavy rainfall at some places.
Isolated, extremely heavy rainfall is expected on 3 December. Rain is expected at most places on December 4, with isolated heavy to very heavy falls. There is a possibility of heavy to very heavy rain at isolated places on December 5, but it is likely to reduce after that.