At least three die in Cyclone Fengal fury, Chennai reels under rain

Cyclone Fengal hits Tamil Nadu, causing heavy rainfall, flooding, and disruptions in Chennai, with more rain expected.

Cyclone Fengal, which crossed the coast near Puducherry on Saturday (November 30, 2024) night, triggered heavy rainfall and strong winds over coastal districts in north Tamil Nadu, flooding low-lying areas and disrupting flights and EMU train services in Chennai. Three people died in rain-related incidents in Chennai.

This is the second cyclone to develop over the Bay of Bengal this season. The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) at Chennai said that the cyclone’s advance spiral bands had crossed the coast by 7 p.m. with landfall expected to take three or four hours, with wind speeds gusting up to 90 km per hour. Heavy rainfall is expected to continue through Sunday (December 1, 2024), though rain intensity depends on cloud cover.

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A heavy downpour pummelled the State’s northern coastal districts from the early hours of Saturday (November 30, 2024). Chennai’s Nungambakkam and Meenambakkam recorded 11.4 cm and 10.4 cm of rainfall respectively till 5:30 p.m. The rain gauges and automatic weather stations in Thiruninravur (13 cm), Kolapakkam (12 cm), Puducherry (10 cm), Tiruttani, Puzhal in Tiruvallur district and Mailam in Villupuram district (9 cm each) recorded the torrential rainfall that continued till Saturday (November 30, 2024) evening.

Chennai airport was shut down and 226 flights were cancelled due to adverse weather conditions. Another 20 flights due to arrive in Chennai were diverted to other airports, including as far away as Guwahati. The Airports Authority of India said the airport would remain closed till 4 a.m. on Sunday (December 1, 2024).

Suburban train services between Chennai Beach and Velachery in the MRTS Section were suspended from Saturday (November 30, 2024) afternoon as gale force winds prevailed in the city. Train services between Beach and Chengalpattu were affected as the tracks were waterlogged at Pallavaram station. One express train was cancelled, two were diverted, and the starting point of 11 trains were changed. Chennai Metro Rail services, however, operated as usual.

At least 53 major roads were waterlogged in various parts of the city, and seven subways were closed. Several arterial roads wore a deserted look as most residents stayed indoors. Chennai Metrowater’s control room (with helplines 044-45674567 and 1916) functioned round the clock to receive complaints related to water supply disruptions and sewage overflow.