Cyclone Nivar: Chennai airport to remain closed till Thursday morning

The Chennai international airport has been closed till 7 AM on Thursday amid bad weather conditions caused by Cyclone Nivar, the Civil Aviation Ministry said.

Gusty winds and rains lashed parts of Tamil Nadu on Wednesday, leaving several areas inundated. Authorities have housed over one lakh people in shelters as the severe cyclone hurtled towards the coast.

"As a measure of safety and precaution, the Chennai Airport has been temporarily closed from 1900 to 0700 hrs IST due to the bad weather conditions caused by Cyclone Nivar. Due coordination was done with all stakeholders," the Civil Aviation Ministry said on Twitter.

Nivar would intensify into a very severe cyclonic storm and is likely to cross the coast between Tamil Nadu and Puducherry before dawn on Thursday, the India Meteorological Department said.