Cyclone Mandous Left Several Trees Uprooted; Vehicles Damaged And Electricity Disrupted In Chennai

Cyclone Mandous had a landfall in Mamallapuram, which is situated 30 km away from Chennai, between 10.30 pm and 11.15 pm on the night of December 9, this resulted in heavy rainfall and gusty winds in various parts of coastal Tamil Nadu. When the storm, crossed the coast between Puducherry and Sriharihota the wind speed of it was 75 kmph, it wreaked havoc in Chennai, trees got uprooted, electricity supply was disrupted and the low- lying areas experienced waterlogging. According to the India Meteorological Department the city has received 115.1 mm of rainfall in the 24 hours ending 5.30 am

The cyclone weakened into a deep depression in the wee hours of December 10, it lay centred 55 km north-northwest of Mahabalipuram and about 40 km west-southwest of Chennai. According to experts it will further weaken into a depression by the afternoon of December 10. Light to moderate rainfall is expected in most places, however, heavy to very heavy rainfall is predicted in isolated places across north interior Tamil Nadu.

The schools and colleges for schools and colleges in Chennai, and other districts including Vellore, Villupuram, Cuddalore, Ranipet, Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu, and Kancheepuram, have declared a holiday on December 10, due to rain forecast. As per reports, as many as 16,000 police personnel and 1,500 Home guards have been also deployed in the state for security, relief and rescue tasks, and a 40-member team of the Tamil Nadu State Disaster Response Force, in addition to 12 District Disaster Response Force teams, are kept on standby. Nearly 400 personnel of the NDRF and State Disaster Response Force teams have been kept stationed in coastal regions, including near the Cauvery delta area.