Cyclone Mandous Nears Tamil Nadu Coast; Schools, Colleges Shut As Heavy Rainfall Predicted

Cyclone Mandous (pronounced Man-Dous) lies around 240 km east-southeast of Karaikal and about 320 km south-southeast of Chennai, the IMD said. It is likely to continue its intensity as a severe cyclonic storm till mid-day, before gradually weakening into a cyclonic storm. It will continue moving west-northwestwards and cross the coast between Puducherry and Sriharikota, near Mahabalipuram, between midnight and the early hours of Saturday (December 10) with wind speeds of 65-75 kmph gusting to 85 kmph. Under its influence, heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely in Chennai and other districts in Tamil Nadu over the next two days.

Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Andhra Pradesh have been bracing for the storm, with authorities on alert and taking precautionary measures. The National Disaster Relief Force has been deployed as well. In Chennai, 169 relief camps have been set up and the civic body has readied 805 motor pumps to drain stagnant water from low-lying areas.  Volunteers from the fisherfolk community have been instructed to be ready with rescue boats.