Cyclone Nivar weakens into severe cyclonic storm after making landfall in Puducherry: IMD

Powerful Cyclone Nivar, packing estimated wind speeds of 120 to 130 kmph, made landfall near Puducherry at around 10:30 pm on Wednesday, November 25 as “very severe cyclonic storm”. Later weakened into a "severe cyclonic storm" as it crossed the coast near Puducherry, the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) said in its hourly updates. 

“Very severe cyclonic Storm #Nivar weakens into a severe cyclonic storm. Centre of #NivarCyclone lies over land. Crossed coast near Puducherry during 11:30 pm of 25th November to 2:30 am of 26th November,” IMD said in a tweet.

READ | Over 1L Evacuated From TN, Puducherry In View Of Cyclone Nivar: NDRF DG

Cyclone Nivar to weaken in three hours

The torrential rains accompanied by gusty winds lashed several parts of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry as the cyclonic storm wreaked havoc in the southern coastal regions. 

The cyclone was centred over coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, at about 25 km north of Puducherry, at 5.20 am on Thursday. The severe cyclonic storm with a wind speed of 90-100 kmph gusting to 110 kmph would move northwestwards and weaken further into a cyclonic storm during the next three hours, the IMD reported.

READ | Cyclone Nivar: Chennai Airport To Remain Closed Till Thursday Morning

Tamil Nadu & Puducherry brave cyclonic storm

Authorities in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry took a slew of measures to handle the situation arising out of the cyclonic storm, which caused heavy rainfall in several regions. 

While rescue teams and Indian Navy were on alert across Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, Chennai airport remained shut from 7 pm on Wednesday to 7 am on Thursday. Metro and train services were also suspended. In light of the heavy rains, water was released from the Chembarambakkam reservoir, one of the main reservoirs for Chennai, on Wednesday noon.

The Puducherry government imposed Section 144 in the Union Territory, after IMD's warning about the possible impact of Cyclone Nivar. Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edapaddi Palaniswami requested the people across the state to stay at home and to follow the safety guidelines. 

READ | Storage Almost Full, Key Chennai Reservoir Opened Ahead Of Cyclone Nivar Landfall

Nearly 1.38 lakh people, including 28,161 children, were evacuated from low-lying areas and unsafe buildings to 1,694 relief centres across Tamil Nadu. Subsequently, the power supply was disconnected in vulnerable areas as a precautionary measure.
Nivar is the second cyclone to have developed in the Bay of Bengal this year after Cyclone Amphan developed into 'super cyclonic storm' and wreaked havoc in West Bengal in May.

IMD sounds a yellow alert for Karnataka

As the cyclone begins to weaken, the strong winds are also expected to wither once it moves towards Bengaluru. A yellow alert has been sounded for the city by the IMD on Wednesday and Thursday.

Other districts like Chamarajanagar, Chikkaballapur, Hassan, Kolar, Mandya, Mysuru, Ramanagara, and Tumkur are also under yellow alert for the next two days due to the possibility of heavy rainfall in the range of 60-120 mm. As per the IMD forecast, widespread rainfall with isolated heavy falls is possible across South Interior Karnataka on both the days.

READ | Cyclone Nivar: Taken All Precautionary Measure To Tackle Cyclone Impact, Says NLC India