Heavy rains as cyclone Gaja hits Tamil Nadu coast, over 76,000 evacuated


Nagapattinam, Nov 16 (PTI): The severe cyclonic storm 'Gaja' crossed the Tamil Nadu coast between Nagapattinam and nearby Vedaranniyam early Friday with wind speed gusting up to 120 kmph, a weather bulletin said.

According to Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Authority, as many as 76,290 people were evacuated from low lying areas and sheltered at over 300 relief centres in six districts including Nagapattinam, Pudukottai, Ramanathapuram and Tiruvarur.

A holiday has been declared for educational institutions in Nagapattinam.

An India Meteorological Department (IMD) bulletin said, "Severe cyclonic storm Gaja crossed Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coast between Nagapattinam and Vedaranniyam ...with wind speed of 100-110 kmph gusting up to 120 kmph, early Friday."

"Though the center of cyclone is over land, rear sector of eyewall is still over sea. It will take about an hour to move over land," the IMD bulletin issued at 3:15 am said.

However, Deputy Director General of Meteorology S Balachandran told news agency PTI, the cyclone will take another two hours to fully cross the coast.

The severe cyclonic storm is very likely to move nearly westwards and weaken gradually into a cyclonic storm during the next six hours, the IMD said.

During the cyclone's landfall, rains lashed Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, and Thanjavur, uprooting trees in several regions, the details of which are expected later in the day.

Electricity supply was disconnected in Nagapattinam and in several other coastal regions in view of the cyclone's landfall.

Four teams each of National Disaster Response Force personnel have been already deployed in Nagapattinam district while two teams of the state disaster response force in Cuddalore district, officials said on Thursday.

The state disaster management authority had released an animated video aimed at creating awareness on the do's and don'ts during cyclone.

The government has announced helpline numbers 1070 (state-level) and 1077 (districts) for those who may need assistance.

  

Top Stories

Comment on this article

  • Vincent Rodrigues, Katapadi/Bangalore

    Fri, Nov 16 2018

    Let us pray Almighty to normalize the situation early without any major disaster.

    DisAgree [1] Agree [1] Reply Report Abuse

  • Sahil, Mangaluru

    Fri, Nov 16 2018

    Just Pray for Tamil nadu.if cyclone directly effect in one are means indirectly effective for all other parts as well due to many reason.

    DisAgree [2] Agree [2] Reply Report Abuse


Leave a Comment

Title: Heavy rains as cyclone Gaja hits Tamil Nadu coast, over 76,000 evacuated



You have 2000 characters left.

Disclaimer:

Please write your correct name and email address. Kindly do not post any personal, abusive, defamatory, infringing, obscene, indecent, discriminatory or unlawful or similar comments. Daijiworld.com will not be responsible for any defamatory message posted under this article.

Please note that sending false messages to insult, defame, intimidate, mislead or deceive people or to intentionally cause public disorder is punishable under law. It is obligatory on Daijiworld to provide the IP address and other details of senders of such comments, to the authority concerned upon request.

Hence, sending offensive comments using daijiworld will be purely at your own risk, and in no way will Daijiworld.com be held responsible.