According to the IMD, the forward sector of spiral bands associated with Cyclone Fengal has entered the land at around 7.30 PM. It is currently moving west-southwestwards and cross north Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts between Karaikal and Mahabalipuram close to Puducherry as a cyclonic storm. The IMD expects the storm to cross the Tamil Nadu coast in about one and a half hours.
Meanwhile, the Department of Revenue and Disaster Management has set up toll-free numbers 112 and 1077 to receive distress calls from the public. People can seek help through the WhatsApp number 9488981070 also.
The landfall is expected to take place with a wind speed of 70-80 kmph gusting to 90 kmph. The official forecast from the Met Office indicated that the cyclone was expected to make landfall late tonight or in the early hours of December 1.
Experts had earlier warned that a delayed landfall could lead to heavier rains across Tamil Nadu, significantly affecting North Coastal Tamil Nadu and parts of Puducherry.
While Chennai will continue to experience moderate rainfall in short bursts, the storms are expected to have breaks in between. Cheyyur is already facing severe weather conditions, with Pondicherry also seeing heavy rainfall as the cyclone moves closer.
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Chennai Airport closure has been extended until 4 am on Sunday, December 1, according to sources.
Regional Meteorological Centre said the landfall process of the slow-moving cyclonic storm 'Fengal' would run into several hours during which it can bring heavy to very heavy rains.
Chennai: over 134 locations reported water logging, while 7 key subways were closed as heavy rains continue.
Public transport suspended on ECR and OMR till Saturday afternoon.
Red alert remains in effect for 7 districts, including Chennai, Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Villupuram, Kallakurichi, Cuddalore districts and Puducherry.
IMD says Red alert may continue in North Tamil Nadu including Chennai and neighbouring districts, Puducherry post-landfall.
Orange alert issued for Ranipet, Tiruvannamalai, Vellore, Perambalur, Ariyalur, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam and Karaikal.
TN CM Stalin reviewed the situation, confirming precautionary measures, relief camps, and food distribution for vulnerable areas.
The government had already declared November 30 a holiday for educational institutions and requested IT firms to make their employees work from home.
Chennai's essential services
State-run Aavin milk supply was not affected and power supply continued to be normal in many areas.
Chennai Metro Rail said its services were operational without any glitches and informed public of parking areas in specific stations that were prone to inundation.
Suburban services between Chennai Beach and Velachery in the MRTS section suspended.
Other EMU train services in all suburban sections in Chennai division will operate with reduced frequency until further notice.
Express/superfast train services have not been affected so far, though there was some delay.
In the last 24 hours, Ennore received the highest rainfall of 130 mm. Several stations in Chennai received rainfall over 80 mm. From 8.30 am to 1.30 pm today, Nungambakkam weather station received 97 mm and Meenambakkam received 102 mm.
Rains intensify as Fengal moves towards coast
According to the IMD's latest update, Fengal is centered 50 km south-southeast of Mahabalipuram, 60 km east-northeast of Puducherry and 90 km south of Chennai.
As Cyclone Fengal approached the coastline, rainfall intensified across North Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. The cyclone's main rain bands began impacting the Chennai and its surrounding regions around 3:30 am on Saturday, bringing persistent rain of varying intensities.
From Saturday morning, the city experienced moderate to heavy rainfall, which is expected to continue throughout the day, causing localized waterlogging in low-lying areas and uprooting trees in multiple locations.
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.
So far, the northern parts of the city are seeing heavier spells with Kathivakkam recording around 12 cm, the highest, as per GCC data. Basin Bridge, Thiruvottiyur, Tondiarpet, Sholinganallur and Ponneri recorded about 8-9.4 cms of rainfall. Chennai, on average has recorded around 6.7 cms of rain as of 8:30 am on Saturday.
A red alert remains in effect for seven districts, including Chennai, Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Villupuram, Kallakurichi, Cuddalore districts, and Puducherry, with isolated heavy to very heavy rain and extremely heavy rain at a few locations.
An orange alert has been issued for isolated heavy to very heavy rain in Ranipet, Tiruvannamalai, Vellore, Perambalur, Ariyalur, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam districts, and the Karaikal area.
As the cyclonic storm moves slowly, weather bloggers expect the heaviest rains to fall between Marakkanam to Pulicat. Weather watchers said that the cyclone shifted more northward than westward overnight, potentially predicting its landfall closer to Mahabalipuram instead of Pondicherry.
CM reviews situation, state braces for impact
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin reviewed the situation at the State Emergency Operations Centre with top officials and later told reporters that all precautionary measures have already been taken and camps have been set up for people of vulnerable areas and food was also being distributed to them. Also, the Chief Minister inspected a pumping station.
The Tamil Nadu government appealed to people to stay indoors and declared November 30 a holiday for educational institutions and IT companies were requested to allow employees to work from home.
Public transport has been suspended on the East Coast Road and Old Mahabalipuram Road here, which is close to the shoreline, till Saturday afternoon. An official release said: "Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Authority urges the general public to avoid visiting beaches, amusement parks and attending recreational events. The general public are requested to cooperate fully with the disaster prevention measures taken by the Government of Tamil Nadu."
Construction companies were asked to take precautionary measures to ensure that equipment and machinery does not fall down.
Similarly, those who had erected advertisement hoardings must ensure that these were swept away.
Meanwhile, complying with an advisory, 4,153 boats have returned to the shore and 2,229 relief camps were ready for use if needed, the state government said. As of now, a total of 471 people belonging to 164 families have been accommodated in six relief centres in Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam districts.
Boats, generators, motor pumps and all other necessary machinery and equipment are ready in districts and NDRF and state teams have been deployed wherever needed, including Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai, Tiruvarur, Cuddalore, Thanjavur, Chengelpet and Chennai.
Senior officials assigned to supervise and coordinate related tasks with district authorities are stationed in their respective districts.
Greater Chennai Corporation authorities said 22,000 personnel including engineers, officials and sanitary workers were on the job and a total of 1,686 motor pumps of various capacities including 25-hp and 100-hp were in use. As many as 484 tractor-mounted heavy-duty pumps and 137 pumps of 100-hp capacity have been deployed.
The GCC said work was on in a 'war footing' to clear waterlogging in 134 spots and out of the 9 trees that fell, 5 have been cleared.
Reservoirs that cater to the city's drinking water needs such as Chembarambakkam and Poondi received copious inflow. Chembarambakkam reservoir is at 62 per cent of the storage level.
Many residents of low-lying Madipakkam parked their cars on both sides of nearby Velachery flyover. Residents of similar vulnerable areas too parked their vehicles in safe areas.
Roads were largely deserted and civic workers, police, and fire and rescue personnel, deployed in vulnerable places performed rain-related relief/rescue tasks.
State-run transport corporations operated skeleton services in Chennai and nearby areas.
Railway officials said EMU train services in all suburban sections in Chennai division will operate with reduced frequency until further notice. An official said that by and large, train (including express/superfast) services have not been affected, though there was some delay.
Chennai Metro Rail said its services were operational without any glitches and informed public of parking areas in specific stations that were prone to inundation.
Airport authorities declared suspension of all operations till 7 pm starting from 12.30 pm. Departure and arrival schedule of both domestic and international flights were affected.
Some of the flights were diverted to Bengaluru and Tiruchirappalli and at least 18 flights were cancelled and 12 other flights were delayed.
Chennai airport authorities said IndiGo Airlines has temporarily suspended flight operations, which will resume once the weather improves.
As the sea was pretty rough, police put up barricades blocking access to noted beaches including the Marina and Mamallapuram.
A migrant worker from Uttar Pradesh was electrocuted after he accidentally touched a snapped live cable at Muthialpet in North Chennai on Saturday. The deceased has been identified as Chandan. His body was found floating in the flood water outside the ATM. Onlookers tried to poke his body with a wooden stick and later raised an alarm.
According to cops, Chandan worked at a shop in Parrys and lived in a dormitory given to all workers nearby. On Saturday morning, he had gone to a nearby ATM to withdraw cash, he slipped near the ATM door and touched an iron pole next to an electric post that was leaking power. (Read more)
Hospitals and houses were inundated in Chennai and its neighbourhoods on Saturday following Cyclone Fengal-induced heavy downpour, as civic authorities said clearing works were on in a 'war-footing.
Barricades and umbrellas were swept away by gusty winds and road users scurried for cover as rains poured, with cyclone Fengal inching closer to the shoreline on Saturday, leaving many areas in and around Chennai under water.
Curiously, a lot of people, especially young men and women, frolicked at beaches, and strangely, visitors could be spotted at the Mamallapuram world heritage site too, despite the government warning people against going near beaches, in view of the high tides.
Wind speed was pretty high in coastline areas such as Marakkanam in Villupuram district.
Rainwater entered the premises of two state-run hospitals at Chromepet, a general hospital and a facility for thoracic medicine, both of which are located side by side and frequented by people.
Water was close to the level of one's ankle even inside the hospital, leaving health care seekers and doctors in a tight spot.
Police and local authorities placed sandbags at entry points and said all steps were being taken to address the issue.
Barricades could be seen strewn around at several roads including Anna Salai and a traffic light fell down at Sriperumbudur.
Several residential neighbourhoods were heavily inundated here.
These included parts of Korattur, Velachery-Madipakkam and Kodungaiyur.
Rainwater entered houses in suburban localities, such as the Hasthinapuram--Tirumalai Nagar, and residents had to place even refrigerators and washing machines on cots to prevent them from getting damaged.
Public transportation services were hit and people used flyovers and spaces beneath them as parking lots to avoid a repeat of what was endured during the 2015 floods.
In view of the rains and copious inflows, reservoirs such as Chembarambakkam looked like an ocean.
Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) authorities said 22,000 personnel including engineers, officials and sanitary workers were on the job and a total of 1,686 motor pumps of various capacities including 25-hp and 100-hp were in use.
As many as 484 tractor-mounted heavy-duty pumps and 137 pumps of 100-hp capacity have been deployed.
The GCC said work was on in a 'war-footing' to clear waterlogging in 134 spots and out of the 9 trees that fell, 5 have been cleared.