Following Cyclone Mandous’ late-night Friday landfall with a wind speed of 75 km/h, four persons have died in Tamil Nadu. The cyclone has since become a severe depression.
Rain fell in Chennai up to 115 mm. According to Chief Minister M K Stalin, as the weather system reached the coast between December 9 and 10, almost 400 trees in Chennai were damaged by winds of 70 kmph.
Reporters were told by Mr. Stalin, who assessed the situation in the Kasimedu area, that the administration had taken precautionary measures to avoid significant damage. He remarked, “This government proved that any tragedy can be managed with careful planning.
Around 11.30 p.m. on Friday, the cyclone made landfall. At 1.30 a.m., it had crossed the coast near Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram) in Tamil Nadu, uprooting hundreds of trees in Chengalpattu and the nearby city of Chennai.
Along with shops along the seashore, boats have been damaged in Kovalam, which is close to Mamallapuram. “Shops’ tin roofs were destroyed by wind. The state’s fisheries and revenue officials are investigating boat damage “said Kovalam Village Panchayat President Shobana Thangam.
At the Chennai airport, 13 domestic flights and 3 foreign flights were cancelled due to severe weather before the landfall. Chennai International Airport stated, “Passengers are encouraged to check with concerned airline(s) for further updates.”
It was formerly rated as a “Severe Cyclonic Storm,” the fourth-highest intensity category on the scale, with gusts between 89 and 117 km/h. Since then, it has reduced to a “Cyclonic Storm” with gusts between 62 and 88 km/h. (Super Cyclonic Storms, with winds of 222 km/h or more, are the most severe form.)
The Tamil Nadu government has opened more than 5,000 aid centres in addition to stationing National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams in ten districts. There are 28 such centres now home to 1,058 families in the Chengalpattu district alone.
Early on Saturday, there were reports of heavy rain in a number of locations in Andhra Pradesh’s south coastline and Rayalaseema districts. In Tirupati district, Naidupeta, 281.5 mm of rain fell in the past 24 hours ending at 8:30 am on Saturday, according to a status report from the AP government.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) member United Arab Emirates (UAE) named the cyclone (WMO). Its pronunciation is “Man-Dous,” and its Arabic translation is “treasure box.”
Tropical cyclone warning centres and specialised regional meteorological centres across the world give cyclones their unique names. There are five tropical warning centres, six regional centres, including the IMD.
