TN: RMC issues orange alert for coastal districts, fishermen advised to stay ashore
Chennai (The Uttam Hindu): The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) issued an orange alert for coastal districts of Tamil Nadu on Tuesday, warning of heavy to very heavy rains due to low pressure formed over the sea, which is likely to intensify. Under the influence of this system, districts such as Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, Thanjavur, Cuddalore, and Kancheepuram are expected to witness heavy to very heavy rainfall on Tuesday (December 10) and Wednesday (December 11).
Additionally, 12 other districts, including Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Kallakurichi, Ariyalur, Perambalur, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, Pudukkottai, Sivaganga, and Ramanathapuram, are likely to experience intense rain spells. An orange alert has also been issued for Chengalpattu, Villupuram, and Cuddalore districts on Thursday (December 12).
The RMC has issued a Yellow alert for Chennai and neighbouring districts, forecasting heavy rains on December 12. Fishermen have been advised to not venture into the sea, and those already in deep waters have been urged to return to the shores immediately. The weather department has predicted strong winds of 35-45 km/h over the southeast Bay of Bengal.
The low-pressure area over the southeast Bay of Bengal and adjoining east equatorial Indian Ocean, with an associated cyclonic circulation extending up to mid-tropospheric levels, is expected to move west-northwestwards and intensify in the next 24 hours. The system is likely to reach the southwest Bay of Bengal, near the Sri Lanka-Tamil Nadu coast, by Wednesday (December 11). The alert comes in the aftermath of Cyclone Fengal, which struck Tamil Nadu and Puducherry between November 29 and December 1, causing widespread destruction.
The cyclone resulted in the loss of 12 lives and inundated 2,11,139 hectares of agricultural and horticultural land, leading to significant losses for farmers. It also caused extensive damage to infrastructure, including 1,649 kilometres of electric conductors, 23,664 electric poles, 997 transformers, 9,576 kilometres of roads, 1,847 culverts, and 417 tanks. Numerous houses and huts were also damaged. The districts of Villupuram, Tiruvannamalai, and Kallakurichi recorded over 50 cm of rainfall in a single day, equivalent to an entire season’s average, leading to severe flooding and extensive crop damage.
The Tamil Nadu government reported that 69 lakh families and 1.5 crore individuals were adversely affected by the disaster. In the wake of the devastation, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting Rs 2,000 crore as interim relief from the National Disaster Response Fund. The Tamil Nadu government submitted an initial damage assessment report, estimating the need for Rs 2,475 crore for relief and reconstruction efforts. The Central government has sanctioned Rs 944 crore as interim relief for the affected regions.
