Cyclone 'Mandous' crosses coast, weakens into deep depression

Chennai:The Cyclonic storm 'Mandous' crossed the coast between Pudcherry and Sriharikota near Mamallapuram and weakened into a Deep Depression on Saturday.

"Cyclone Mandous rear sector has moved into land and the landfall process has been completed. It is very likely to move nearly westnorthwestwards and gradually weaken into a deep depression and into a depression by today noon", Met office said.

The cyclone entered the Chennai region around midnight and the entire crossing process, which began at 2130 hrs last night, lasted nearly five hours, ended around 0230/0300 hrs this morning.

“Mandous” lay centered over north coastal Tamil Nadu moved northwestwards with a speed of 15 kmph during past 06 hours and weakened into a Deep Depression over north Tamil Nadu and lay centered at about 70 km northwest of Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram) and 50 km west of Chennai.

It is very likely to move nearly west-northwestwards and gradually weaken into a Depression by noon.Under its influence, light to moderate rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places is likely over north Tamil Nadu today.

Heavy to very heavy rain is likely to occur at isolated places over Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Tiruppattur, Vellore, Ranipet, Tiruvannamalai, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur districts of Tamil Nadu.

Heavy rain is likely to occur at isolated places over Nilgiris, Erode, Salem, Kallakurichi, Villupuram, Chengalpattu and Chennai districts of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.As heavy rains and strong winds lashed Chennai city and its adjoining districts at the time off landfall, power supply was affected in several areas in this teeming megapolis and in more than 300 places trees were uprooted.

Meanwhile, a holiday has been declared for schools and colleges for the second successive day in several districts in view of the cyclone.(UNI)