Cyclone Fengal LIVE: Puducherry receives highest rainfall in 30 …

Sun Dec 01 09:06:48 UTC 2024: ## Cyclone Fengal Pummels Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, Leaving Trail of Flooding and Casualties

**Chennai, India – November 30, 2024** – Cyclone Fengal made landfall on the Puducherry coast at 7 pm on Saturday, November 30th, 2024, bringing with it torrential rainfall, high winds, and widespread flooding. The cyclone, which weakened into a deep depression shortly after landfall, caused significant disruption across Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert, warning of heavy to extremely heavy rainfall across several regions, including coastal districts of North Tamil Nadu and South Andhra Pradesh. Puducherry bore the brunt of the storm, receiving 50 centimeters of rain – its highest rainfall in 30 years – leading to severe flooding and submerging vehicles. At least three people were electrocuted in Chennai due to rain-related incidents.

Rescue operations are underway, with the Indian Army evacuating over 100 people from Puducherry and local authorities shifting approximately 1400 people to shelters. The IMD reported wind speeds of 70-80 kmph, gusting up to 90 kmph, during the landfall.

The severe weather caused widespread disruption to transportation. Chennai airport suspended operations until 4 am on December 1st, stranding passengers, and several flights were cancelled or diverted. IndiGo, however, resumed operations later as weather conditions improved. Roads were flooded and buses in Villupuram were operating out of the inundated bus stand. Chennai’s metro system also issued advisories regarding waterlogged stations and parking areas.

Tamil Nadu’s Revenue and Disaster Management Minister, KKSSR Ramachandran, reported no immediate reports of major damage, but a full assessment is expected by Sunday. The IMD predicted moderate rainfall to continue into Sunday for the affected areas. While the primary impact was on Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, coastal Andhra Pradesh and Kerala, Maharashtra also experienced unusually cold weather due to the low-pressure system.