Cyclone Nivar Crosses Tamil Nadu, Puducherry Coast Near Puducherry

Chennai: The very severe cyclonic storm Nivar crossed the Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coast near Puducherry on November 25 night and early November 26 with an approximate wind speed of 120-130 kmph, according to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) on Thursday.

The cyclone uprooted several trees in Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu. The administration is busy in removing the fallen trees, according to news agency IANS.

AS per weather department, Nivar lays centred over coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry about 25 km north of Puducherry with the wind blowing at a speed of 90-100 kmph gusting to 110 kmph.

IMD said the cyclone is expected to move northwestwards and weaken further into a cyclonic storm during the next three hours.

Nivar began its landfall on Wednesday night about 10.30 pm after moving at a speed of 16 kmph for six hours, the agency said.

The Puducherry government announced Thursday as a public holiday.

Twenty-five National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have been deployed on the coastal areas of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Andhra Pradesh.