Cyclone Fengal Chaos: Tamil Nadu, Puducherry Shut Schools Amid Heavy Rain and Flooding

Chennai: Authorities in Tamil Nadu declared a holiday for schools and colleges in Cuddalore district on Monday due to severe flooding in the region. The announcement was made by the Cuddalore District Collector, citing safety concerns for students and staff.  Heavy rainfall over the past few days inundated several areas in Cuddalore, disrupting daily life and causing waterlogging on roads. 

Schools and colleges in low-lying areas faced challenges as floodwaters entered premises, making them unsafe for use.  Public transport in some parts of the district was also impacted, adding to the difficulties. 

The district administration issued alerts and urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel.  Relief teams were deployed to assist affected areas, and officials closely monitored the situation. 

Local authorities assured that further announcements would be made based on weather conditions.  

Cyclone Fengal: Puducherry Govt Announces Holiday for Schools, Colleges 

In the wake of Cyclone Fengal's landfall, heavy rainfall and flooding have disrupted daily life across Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. The Union Territory's Education Minister, A. Namachivayam, announced a holiday for Monday for all government, government-aided, private schools, and colleges in Puducherry. 

Similarly, schools and colleges in Tamil Nadu's Villupuram, Cuddalore, Vellore, and Ranipet districts will also remain closed, as declared by local administrations due to severe weather conditions.

Cyclone Fengal made landfall late Saturday night, crossing the Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts between 10:30 pm and 11:30 pm, with wind speeds of 70–80 km/h and gusts up to 90 km/h. 

Heavy rainfall has been reported since Saturday morning, with Cuddalore particularly affected by widespread flooding. 

Disaster response teams, including the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), are actively conducting rescue operations, using boats to evacuate residents from submerged areas.

As the storm moves westward, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of continued severe weather in parts of Andhra Pradesh, including the coastal and Rayalaseema regions. KVS Srinivas, Managing Director of the Cyclone Warning Centre in Visakhapatnam, stated that Cyclone Fengal remained stationary for six hours before slowly moving westward. 

Moderate to heavy rainfall is expected in Andhra Pradesh over the next 24 hours, with regions like Kakinada, Nellore, and areas in Rayalaseema forecasted to experience heavy downpours.

In Tamil Nadu, incessant rainfall continues in several districts, exacerbating flooding in residential areas of Cuddalore. Relief operations are underway, with authorities striving to restore normalcy while bracing for further impacts from the storm.