Tens of thousands of rescue personnel were on standby and over 26,000 people were evacuated in south Tamil Nadu coast as authorities braced for the landfall of Cyclone Gaja late this evening or night. Those evacuated have been placed in 164 camps.
The cyclone, the first major weather system to form since the onset of the North East monsoon on November 1, was moving at a speed of 10 kmph as of 6 pm, he said. The Met officials in Chennai said the outer edge of the cyclone has come close to the shores so it is expected to hit the Tamil Nadu coast in next two hours.
The Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Authority, in a tweet, said as per the latest updates #GajaCyclone is likely to have landfall between 8 pm and 11 pm tonight in all probability in Nagapattinam district, about 300 km from here.
At the time of landfall, wind speed of 80-90 kmph gusting up to 100 kmph and heavy rains were likely along the region, the Met office said.
Heavy rains were lashing several parts of Nagapattinam district and surrounding areas, including Karaikal, since this evening while power supply has been disconnected as a pre-cautionary measure in the region, officials said.
Over 30,000 rescue personnel, 931 rescue vehicles and 400 ambulances are kept ready in seven coastal districts, authorities said.
Around 14,000 people living in low lying areas in Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, Pudukkottai, Thiruvarur and Cuddalore were shifted to relief centres earlier today.
Helicopters with food and materials were being rushed to Nagapattinam from Vishakapattinam. Two naval ships equipped with divers, helicopters and inflatable boats were also docked to move to affected areas to provide relief and humanitarian aid, according to reports.
Schools will remain closed in Nagapattinam, Cuddalore, Pudukkottai, Thiruvarur, Ramanathapuram and Thanjavur district tomorrow.
First Published: Nov 15, 2018 20:07 IST
Source: HindustanTimes