Cyclonic storm Mandous Update: IMD issues alert for Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, AP

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Thursday (December 8) morning issued an alert for north Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and south Andhra Pradesh coasts, as the deep depression over southwest and the adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal intensified into a cyclonic storm, ‘Mandous’. Rainfall has been predicted due to the approaching cyclonic storm. 

IMD in a tweet on 3.12 am on Thursday informed, "Deep Depression over Southwest and adjoining Southeast Bay of Bengal intensified into a Cyclonic Storm "Mandous" pronounced as "Man-Dous" (Cyclone Alert for north Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and south Andhra Pradesh coasts): Yellow Message."

Heavy rains for the next couple of days

IMD said isolated heavy rainfall is expected over adjoining areas of south coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema on Thursday and light to moderate rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy falls at isolated places very likely over coastal Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal. 

"Light to moderate rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places and extremely heavy rainfalls at isolated places very likely over north coastal Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and adjoining south Coastal Andhra and isolated very heavy rainfall likely over north interior Tamil Nadu and adjoining Rayalaseema on December 9," the IMD predicted in its bulletin.

Selected areas in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Andhra Pradesh are likely to see very heavy rains on December 10.

Fishermen advised not to venture into the sea

IMD advised fishermen not to venture into the southeast Bay of Bengal, during these days. Puducherry CM N Rangaswamy held a review meeting with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) in view of the heavy rainfall alert due to the cyclone ‘Mandous’. 

Sandeep Kumar, Commander and Sub-Inspector, 4 battalions, NDRF Arakkonam said the NDRF is ready to tackle any situation, "Our team is ready with all kinds of equipment. Our team members are trained in their areas. Whenever we get a call for help, we'll immediately rush to the spot."

Andhra Pradesh’s Chittoor district collector Y Harinarayanan ordered the concerned officials to be vigilant and make advance arrangements for relief operations in the wake of cyclone ‘Mandous’, regularly assessing the speed of water flow at the brooks, bends and ponds and moving the people in the low-lying areas to the rehabilitation centers and making the minimum arrangements for them.

IMAGE: IMD