Cyclone Nivar inches closer to TN coast, to make landfall around midnight

Chennai: The severe cyclonic storm 'Nivar' over southwest Bay of Bengal moved west-northwestwards with a speed of seven kmph during past six hours and lay  centred over southwest Bay of Bengal about 290 km east- southeast of Cuddalore, about 300 km east southeast of Puducherry and 350 km south southeast of Chennai. 

It is very likely to intensify further into a very severe cyclonic storm during the next 12 hours, a bulletin issued by the Met office said on Wednesday.

It is likely to move northwestwards and cross Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts between Karaikal and Mamallapuram around Puducherry during midnight of today and early hours 

of tomorrow as a very severe cyclonic storm with a wind speed of 120-130 kmph gusting to 145 kmph.

Under its influence, fairly widespread to widespread rainsand thunderstorm activity is very likely over coastal and north interior Tamilnadu, Puducherry and Karaikal, south coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema for two days. 

Isolated extremely heavy rainfall activity is also very likely over coastal and north interior Tamilnadu and Puducherry (Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Cuddalore, Chennai, Kanchipuram, Chengalpattu, Myladuthirai, Ariyalur,  Perambalur, Kallakurchi, Villupuram, Tiruvannamalai, Puducherry and Karaikal districts) today. 

Cyclone Nivar : Chembarambakkam reservoir to be opened, flood warning issued

Chennai:Even as the severe cyclonic storm 'Nivar' inched towards the Tamil Nadu coast, the PWD authorities have decided to open the sluice gates of the Chembarambakkam reservoir, which was fast filling up to its full level of 24 ft.

Official sources said flood warning was issued to peoplein low lying areas along the Adyar river when the reservoirwould be opened around noon after its level reached the22-ft mark.

The flood warning was issued to low-level areas along Adyar river and surplus courses such as Kundrathur, Sirukalathur, Tirumudivakkam and Tiruneermalai. 

The Adyar river has been widened to carry up to one lakh cusecs in the downstream stretch near Saidapet, officials said. 

The reservoir will be opened after a five year gap and theauthorities allayed the fears of the public about floodingof the Adyar river as only minimal water would be released through the shutters. 

With a steady increase in inflow of 4,027 cusecs (cubic feet per second) and the water level rising, the Water Resources Department decided to release about 1,000 cusecs of surplus water into the Adyar river.

The storage level in the reservoir as of 0800 hrs today stoodat 3,028 million cubic feet, against its capacity of 3,645 mcft. 

It may be recalled that Krishna water was being diverted to this water body to build storage until a few days ago. It received a rainfall of about 10 cm till this morning and theCentral Water Commission has predicted about 20 cm of rainsin Chembarambakkam till early tomorrow morning, when the makes the land fall.

12 Flights to and from Chennai cancelled due to cyclone

Chennai:The departure and arrival of 12 flights at the Chennai airport have been cancelled in view of the Cyclone Nivar.

Airport sources said six flights, which were scheduledto depart from Chennai and six flights, which were slatedfor arrival, have been cancelled.

Flights to Kannur, Kozhikode, Vijayawada, Tiruchi, Thoothukudi, Bengaluru, Mangalore and Hubli were cancelled as of now.

Depending upon the weather conditions, there may bedelays or diversions or even more cancellations, thesources said. 

Officials of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has been coordinating with the Met Department, National Disaster Response Force and State government officials and monitoring the cyclone developments. 

Smaller ATR aircraft have been taken away from the airport by an airline fearing damage when the cyclone makes a landfall. (UNI)