Cyclone Mandous Less Intense Now: 16 Chennai Flights Cancelled Amid Bad Weather

Chennai: Heavy rainfall is forecast besides cyclonic winds of around 85 km an hour as it passes over the Chennai coast around midnight. Government has issued a helpline number: 044-2538-4530.

1. Ahead of Cyclone Mandous’s landfall likely by tonight, 16 flights were cancelled at the Chennai airport due to bad weather today. These include three international flights. “Passengers are requested to check with concerned airline(s) for further updates,” tweeted Chennai International Airport.
2. Though the intensity has lessened, as was expected, three districts are on Red Alert: Chengalpattu and Kancheepuram that border the capital Chennai, and Villupuram just south of them. Schools and colleges have been shut in 12 districts of the state, including Chennai. 
3. Heavy rainfall is forecast besides cyclonic winds of around 85 km an hour as it passes over the Chennai coast around midnight. On the intensity scale, it was classified as ‘Severe Cyclonic Storm’, the fourth highest, meaning winds of 89-117 km per hour, but it has since come down to ‘Cyclonic Storm’ with winds at 62-88 km/hour. The most extreme is ‘Super Cyclonic Storm’, with winds at 222 km an hour and more.
4. A storm warning flag has been hoisted at the Puducherry port and fisherfolk have been asked not to venture into the sea. The National Disaster Response Force has been kept on standby in Chennai. The Greater Chennai Corporation has ordered to close all parks and playgrounds.
5. Equipment like boats, high-voltage motors, sucker machines and cutters have been kept ready for rescue operations as the cyclone might gather more intensity. “Once the alert from state officials is communicated NDRF team will move immediately to the needed spot,” NDRF official Sandeep Kumar told news agencies.
6. An official statement by the weather department said the cyclone was “very likely” to maintain its intensity of ‘Severe Cyclonic Storm’ till early morning Friday, “and then weaken gradually”.
7. Neighbouring Andhra Pradesh may also be affected. “It would continue to move west-northwestwards and cross north Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and adjoining south Andhra Pradesh coasts between Puducherry and Sriharikota around Mahabalipuram… during midnight of today, the 9th December to early hours of 10th December,” the statement by India Meteorological Department read.
8. The cyclone was named by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as a member of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO). In Arabic, it means “treasure box” and is pronounced as “Man-Dous”.
9. It is a slow moving cyclone and absorbs a lot of moisture. The cyclone gains strength in the form of wind speeds.
10. Cyclones across the world are named by the respective specialised regional meteorological centres and tropical cyclone warning centres. There are six regional centres, including the IMD, and five tropical warning centres.