The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday issued an orange alert for 13 districts in Tamil Nadu for Thursday, and 12 districts for Friday. This is in light of a depression over the Bay of Bengal that is likely to continue to move west-northwestwards and intensify into a cyclonic storm on Wednesday.
Cyclone Mandous is expected to reach south-west Bay of Bengal, off north Tamil Nadu-Puducherry and adjoining south Andhra Pradesh coasts by December 8, as per a statement issued by National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC). It will continue to move west-northwestwards towards north Tamil Nadu-Puducherry and adjoining south Andhra Pradesh coasts during the subsequent 48 hours.
Depression lay centred at 2330hrs IST of 6th Dec, 2022 over southeast Bay of Bengal about 840km east-southeast of Karaikal and about 900km southeast of Chennai. pic.twitter.com/vRvD6CIGq7
— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) December 6, 2022
The orange alert, indicating very heavy rain, has been issued to Tiruvallur, Chennai, Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu, Villupuram, Kallakurichi, Cuddalore, Ariyalur, Perambalur, Mayiladuthurai, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam on December 8.
The districts of Tiruvallur, Chennai, Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu, Villupuram, Tiruvannamalai, Ranipet, Vellore, Tirupattur, Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, and Salem have been issued an orange alert on December 9.
The Tamil Nadu government has said the state emergency control centre and district emergency control centres will be in operation round the clock and relief camps are also being set up in the state.
The National Disaster Response Force has made five teams available for Tamil Nadu and three teams for Puducherry, according to an official statement. Teams are also being kept on standby for Andhra Pradesh and they will be activated as and when the state government asks for them, the statement said.
Depression in South Bay expected to become a Deep Depression anytime now and intensify further into #CycloneMandous later tonight as it heads towards N. #TamilNadu coast within 50 kms either side of #Chennai around 9th evening. Detailed #COMK post at https://t.co/J1CPypBOwv pic.twitter.com/r2Qbi8Of5u
— Chennai Rains (COMK) (@ChennaiRains) December 7, 2022
Rescue and relief teams of the army and the navy along with ships and aircraft have been kept ready on standby. The coast guard is also ready with its vessels. NCMC headed by Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba on Tuesday reviewed the preparedness of central ministries, agencies, and state and union territory governments for the possible cyclonic storm over the Bay of Bengal, the statement said.
