Four people died as Cyclone Vardah struck close to Tamil Nadu capital Chennai yesterday. Heavy rain and strong winds lashed the coast in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh and the Army, Navy and Air Force were on stand by while over 16,000 people were evacuated.
All operations at the Chennai airport were suspended till 5.00 p.m. yesterday, ANI reported.
Cyclone Vardahhit land with wind speeds of between 120 and 130 kmph.
Over 7,000 people have been evacuated from near the sea in Tamil Nadu and more than 9,000 in Andhra Pradesh.
The Navy said it has two ships ready with doctors, food and water for 5,000 people while 30 diving teams with additional relief material are also on stand by.
The Air Force Base at Tambaram near Chennai said it is prepared for “any contingency.
Fifteen teams of the National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) have been deployed along the coast. The Army has seven columns ready for rescue operations if needed.
Almost 50 flights were delayed or diverted to and from Chennai this morning and suburban train services have been suspended.
All schools and colleges were closed in Chennai, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur, besides coastal areas of Villupuram.
The Tamil Nadu Government has also asked private offices to allow their staff to take a day off or work from home.The heavy rain and strong winds in Chennai uprooted trees. Power supply was suspended in many parts of the state as a precaution.
The Met Department said the sea will be rough along and off the Andhra Pradesh and north Tamil Nadu coasts for 48 hours and fishermen have been asked to avoid going out to sea in this period.