Cyclone 'Nada' to make landfall tomorrow; Tamil Nadu, Puducherry on alert

CHENNAI: Cyclonic storm named 'Nada', likely to make landfall along coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry in the morning of December 2, has revived memories of the calamitous floods that the state endured due to unprecedented rain 12 months ago.
On Wednesday morning, the Met office said, the system, which formed over the southwest Bay of Bengal, was 730km east southeast of Puducherry.The cyclone is likely to cross the Tamil Nadu coast - between Vedaranyam and Puducherry - early on December 2 morning, IMD, Chennai, cyclone warning director S Balachandran said.
"Chennai and coastal districts of Tamil Nadu will receive rain from Thursday morning," he said.
Light to moderate rainfall will accompany the cyclone's approach along the TN and Puducherry coasts on Thursday, with wind speeds ranging between 50km- ph and 80kmph. Squally winds and showers are likely to damage temporary structures and thatched huts and cause minor damage to power and communication lines, an IMD bulletin said.
Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC), Chennai, issued a warning to fishermen against venturing out to sea from Wednesday night.
Officials of the Met office said rain from the cyclone would not cause a deluge like last December. The cyclone is likely to last for around two days, said Y E A Raj, former deputy director-general of meteorology, who is tracking the cyclone movement.