Chennai Weather update: Cyclone Fengal stalls over Puducherry; heavy rain lashes across Tamil Nadu

The cyclone that surprised the Meteorological Center

With the Northeast monsoon intensifying, a low-pressure area formed near Sri Lanka, gradually gaining strength. The resulting rainfall in Sri Lanka moved towards the Tamil Nadu coast. The low-pressure area intensified into a deep depression, but remained stationary for several days, causing uncertainty about its development into Cyclone Fengal

Rain with strong winds

Initially, the formation of Cyclone Fengal was predicted. Later, it was announced that a deep depression would cross the coast. However, due to a sudden increase in intensity, it was confirmed that Fengal would make landfall as a cyclone. Consequently, heavy rainfall with strong winds lashed Chennai and other districts, causing trees to fall and waterlogging in several areas, with water entering homes

Landfall of the cyclone

As predicted, Cyclone Fengal made landfall last night with strong winds. According to Balachandran, Director of the Southern Regional Meteorological Center, Fengal began crossing the coast at 5:30 pm yesterday and completed the process between 10:30 pm and 11:30 pm. It has since stalled near Puducherry, moving at 7 kmph in the last 6 hours and remaining almost stationary for the past 3 hours

Cyclone Fengal remains stationary

Currently, the cyclone is moving slowly westward and is expected to weaken into a deep depression within the next 3 hours. In the past 24 hours, heavy to very heavy rainfall has been recorded in several locations. Mayilam in Villupuram district received the highest rainfall of 50 cm, followed by Puducherry with 46 cm