New Delhi (NVI): Tamil Nadu government has announced a public holiday for tomorrow as the state braces for the cross over of Cyclone Nivar late in the evening on November 25.
All government offices would remain closed across Tamil Nadu on November 25. However, essential services will continue to function, Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami said.
Nivar is likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm during the next 12 hours, and further into a severe cyclonic storm during the subsequent 24 hours, according to India Meteorological Department (IMD).
IMD has has forecast widespread rainfall and thunderstorms over coastal and north interior Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal from November 24 and November 26, over south coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema on November 25 and 26 and southeast Telangana on November 26.
In addition to this, the weather department has issued a red alert for Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, while a yellow alert has been issued for coastal Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
According to the IMD, the cyclone will cross as a severe cyclonic storm with a wind speed of 120-130 kmph gusting to 145 kmph.
The storm lay centered over southwest Bay of Bengal, about 370 km east-southeast of Puducherry and 420 km south-southeast of Chennai at 2.30 pm on Tuesday.
Furthermore, IMD has suggested complete suspension of fishing activity in the west-southwest regions of the Bay of Bengal till November 25. Section 144 has been imposed in Puducherry to prevent loss of life and ensure the safety of the public.
Following heavy rainfall across coastal and north interior Tamil Nadu, the Southern Railway has fully cancelled 12 trains on November 25.
Meanwhile, 22 NDRF teams have been pre-positioned wherein 12 teams have been deployed in Tamil Nadu, 3 in Puducherry and 7 in Andhra Pradesh, while teams have also been kept on reserve at Guntur, Thrissur and Mundili to meet additional requirements.
The teams are all equipped with wireless and satellite communication, tree cutters, pole cutters and PPE kits.
-CHK
