Chennai: The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has announced that Tamil Nadu and Puducherry will receive heavy spell of rainfall for the next two days. The low pressure along Kanyakumari coast has intensified into a low depression zone, causing cyclonic storms at the speed of 50-60 km/hr, said the IMD.
The regional Met department has announced that a low pressure has been formed in Thiruvananthapuram which is likely to turn into a cyclone and advised fishermen along Kanyakumari coast not to venture into the sea. Fisheries minister D. Jayakumar in a statement informed that fishing has been prohibited in Ramanathapuram, Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari in view of the cyclone. Special teams have been sent to Goa, Ratnagiri, Karwar, Devkot and Kochi to help the stranded fishermen from Kanyakumari. Out of the 770 boats which ventured into the Arabian sea earlier, 763 have reached the ports safely, the statement read. Efforts are underway to locate the seven boats from Kanyakumari and five from Thoothukudi which were reported missing. Ten teams comprising of 35 officials have also been sent to the two districts, he added.
Meanwhile, in a letter addressed to the Chief Secretary, Principal Secretary, Disaster Management and Mitigation, Engineer in chief, PWD, WRO, October 30, 2019, the Department of Water Resources has issued advisory forecast to Kosathalaiyar, Adyar, Ponnaiyar and Vellar basins. The departments have been advised to keep round-the-clock vigilance on all dams and river basins.
According to a statement from the Regional Meteorological Centre, Chennai, isolated places in Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Ramanathapuram, Virudhunagar, Madurai, Sivagangai, Pudukottai, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Cuddalore, Villupuram, Tiruvannamalai, Kanchipuram, Tiruvallur, Vellore, Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri districts are likely to receive heavy rainfall. Schools and colleges in Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Virudhunagar, Theni, Vellore and Ramanathapuram were closed on Wednesday due to heavy rain.
