Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India]: As Cyclone Fengal is expected to make landfall in Tamil Nadu this evening, EMU train services in the suburban sections of the Chennai division will operate at reduced frequency intervals, according to a press release from the Southern Railway Chennai Division PRO. The release further stated that all necessary safety precautions have been put in place to ensure passenger safety during the cyclone’s impact.
Earlier today, several flights to and from Chennai were disrupted due to the adverse weather conditions. Multiple airlines issued travel advisories and provided updates on their flight schedules in light of the ongoing heavy rains.
Air India posted on social media, “Flights to and from Chennai are getting affected due to inclement weather and heavy rains.”
IndiGo also issued a travel advisory, confirming that flights in multiple cities, including Chennai, Tiruchirappalli, Tuticorin, and Madurai, had been impacted. “The current weather conditions continue to affect flights to/from Chennai, Tiruchirappalli, Tuticorin, Madurai, and now Tirupati and Vishakhapatnam,” the airline wrote.
The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) in Chennai has predicted that intense rainfall will continue in the northern coastal districts of Tamil Nadu due to the cyclone. Isolated heavy to very heavy rain, with extremely heavy rain in some areas, is expected across Chennai, Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Villuppuram, Kallakurichi, Cuddalore districts, and Puducherry today.
The Tamil Nadu IMD also issued a warning for heavy to very heavy rainfall in several other districts, including Ranipet, Tiruvannamalai, Vellore, Perambalur, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, and Karaikal, with isolated heavy rain expected in regions like Salem, Namakkal, Tiruchirappalli, Pudukkottai, and Karur.
Cyclone Fengal is being closely monitored by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) using Doppler weather radars in Chennai and Sriharikota, along with satellite observations.