As Cyclone Nivar is heading towards the southern states in India, Chennai witnessed very heavy rainfall on Wednesday morning. As the powerful Cyclone Nivar is barrelling towards Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has said Cyclone Nivar is set to cross the coasts of these two locations as a “very severe cyclonic storm” late on Wednesday.

According to IMD, the cyclone is expected to make landfall between Mamallapuram and Karaikal on Wednesday with a wind speed of up to 145 kmph. Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami has declared Wednesday a public holiday while public gatherings are banned from late Tuesday until early Thursday in Puducherry.

The Centre has said, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has deployed as many as 30 teams in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Andhra Pradesh with additional 20 teams on standby to help assist local authorities on possible evacuations of residents from vulnerable coastal areas.

HIGH ALERT

· Fishermen have been advised not to go into the sea, while people in coastal areas are also being evacuated to shelter houses.

· All three major ports in and around Chennai hoisted level 6 warning signals and shut their gates for operations.

· Chennai Airport has declared a high alert as it braces for the cyclone.

· Southern Railway has cancelled a few train services and inter and intra bus-services.

· Movement of private buses is suspended in seven districts of Tamil Nadu.