Chennai: At least 13 flights to and from Chennai were cancelled on Friday, citing operational reasons amidst bad weather due to the formation of the cyclonic storm ‘Fengal’. As the cyclonic storm nears the northern Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert predicting very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall in Chennai, Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Villupuram, Kallakurichi, Cuddalore districts and Puducherry on Saturday. The IMD confirmed that as many as 13 flights to and from Chennai were cancelled and a few others were diverted amidst operational issues. 

The IMD said that the deep depression brewing over the Southwest Bay of Bengal intensified into a cyclonic storm ‘Fengal’ on Friday afternoon as it nears the northern Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts. As per the weather agency, the storm is likely to make landfall on November 30 afternoon, close to Puducherry, with wind speeds up to 90 kmph.

The IMD also issued a red alert predicting very heavy rain to extremely heavy rain at one or two places in Chennai, Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Villupuram, Kallakurichi, Cuddalore districts and Puducherry on Saturday.

It further predicted heavy to very heavy rain at isolated places over Ranipet, Tiruvannamalai, Vellore, Perambalur, Ariyalur, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam districts and Karaikal area.

Balachandran, Chennai Regional Meteorological Head, said, “The system lies about 350 km southeast of Puducherry and is likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm in the next few hours. It is expected to cross between Karaikal and Puducherry by noon on November 30. We expect wind speeds of 70-80 mph, with gusts reaching 90-100 kmph at the time of crossing.”

According to the weather agency, the system is expected to cross the north Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts between Karaikal and Mahabalipuram region as a cyclonic storm with a wind speed of 70-80 kmph, gusting to 90 kmph during November 30 afternoon. The Puducherry Port further raised storm warning signal number 7 as the storm is set to make landfall tomorrow evening as per the IMD.

According to an IMD update as of 8.40 pm on Friday, Fengal was about 240 km east-northeast of Nagapattinam, 230 km east-southeast of Puducherry and 250 km southeast of Chennai.

“It is likely to move west-northwestwards and cross north Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts between Karaikal and Mahabalipuram close to Puducherry as a cyclonic storm with a wind speed of 70-80 kmph gusting to 90 kmph during the afternoon 30th November.”

On December 1, heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely at isolated places in interior Tamil Nadu, and on December 2 and 3, heavy rainfall is likely at isolated places in the state.