Chennai / New Delhi, Dec 1 (Representative) The Cyclonic Storm Fengal, which crossed the coast between North Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts late last night, remained practically stationary in the same area after weakening into a Deep Depression and is expected to weaken further gradually. The Met office has forecast more rains at least for the next two days in Chennai and its neghbouring districts, which were lashed by heavy rains yesterday. In an udpate on Sunday evening, the Met office said the Cyclone Fengal over North coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry remained practically stationary during the past 12 hours and weakened into a deep depression. It lay centered at 1130 hours of today, over the same region close to Puducherry, about 30 km north of Cuddalore, 40 km east of Villupuram and 120 km south-southwest of Chennai.
Forecasting its movement and intensity, the Met office said it is likely to move westwards very slowly and weaken gradually into depression over north coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry during the next 6 hours. Forecasting moderate to very heavy rains till December three, it said scattered heavy to very heavy rain with extremely heavy rain at one or two places is likely to occur over Villuppuram, Kallakuruchi, Cuddalore districts and Puducherry, where a Red Alert was issued. It said heavy to very heavy rain is likely to occur at a few places over Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Tiruvannamalai, Dharmapuri, Salem, Perambalur, Ariyalur, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam districts and Karaikal area. Heavy rain is also likely to occur at isolated places over Chennai, Tiruvallur, Ranipet, Vellore, Tirupattur, Krishnagiri, Erode, Nilgiris, Namakkal, Tiruchirapalli and Pudukkottai districts. Tomorrow, heavy to very heavy rain is likely to occur at isolated places over Nilgiris, Erode, Coimbatore, Tiruppur and Dindigul districts.
Heavy rain is also likely to occur at isolated places over Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Salem, Namakkal, Tiruchirapalli, Karur, Madurai and Theni districts. On December three, heavy rain is likely to occur at isolated places over Tirupattur, Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Salem, Namakkal, Karur, Erode, Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Dindigul and Theni districts. It said strong winds with speed reaching 60-70 kmph and gusting upto 80 kmph is likely to prevail over Villupuram, Tiruvannamalai, Cuddalore, Kallakurichi, Ariyalur, Perambalur, Mayiladuthurai, Namakkal, Salem and Tiruchirapalli districts and Puducherry. Thereafter the wind speed is likely to gradually decrease and reach 50-60 kmph speed. It said very rough ro Rough Sea conditions is likely to prevail over southwest Bay of Bengal, adjoining areas of westcentral Bay of Bengal, and along and off North Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts, and adjoining areas of westcentral Bay of Bengal, Gulf of Mannar, along and off South Andhra Pradesh and North Sri Lanka coasts till midnight of today, and will gradually improve thereafter.
The Met office advised total suspension of fishing operations over southwest and adjoining westcentral Bay of Bengal and fishermen are advised not venture into southwest Bay of Bengal adjoining areas of westcentral Bay of Bengal, Gulf of Mannar and along and off Tamil Nadu-Puducherry, South Andhra Pradesh and North Sri Lanka coasts. On Flash floods warning, it said the 24 hour outlook for the Flash Flood Risk (FFR) is that moderate to High flash flood risk likely over a few watersheds in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry– Chennai, Tiruvallur, Vellore, Kanchipuram, Tiruvannamalai, Villupuram, Puducherry, Cuddalore, Ariyalur, Perambalur and Karaikal districts. Surface runoff/ Inundation may occur at some fully saturated soils and low-lying areas over Area of Concern (AoC) due to expected rainfall during the next 24 hours. On damages expected over coastal and adjoining interior districts of North Tamilnadu-Puducherry, it said rains would lead to localized flooding of roads, water logging in low lying areas and closure of underpasses mainly in urban areas of the above region. In an advisory to the farmers, it suggested provision of adequate drainage facilities for the removal of excess water from rice, cotton, sugarcane, turmeric and vegetable fields, coconut and banana orchards. Provide mechanical support to banana plants to prevent lodging., make arrangements to drain out excess water from the standing crop fields and fruit orchards, harvest the matured crops and keep it in safe place and provide mechanical support to horticultural crops and staking to vegetables.