The coastal districts of Tamil Nadu have started witnessing the power of cyclone Nilam over the Bay of Bengal, which is expected to cross between Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh coasts today evening.
Since today morning, the coastal districts have started witnessing speed wind and rains.
The cyclone is now around 340 km south-southeast of Chennai and is moving, said MET officials. They added, rainfall is expected at most places over coastal Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.
While the officials have said the cyclone may not have as severe an intensity as was being anticipated earlier, but in places like Nagapattinam, Cuddalore, Pondicherry and Chennai the force could be felt by the shear sound of the wind.
“It (the storm) will have its impact, with wind speed of upto 85 km expected to sweep the coastal districts. By the time it makes landfall, between Cuddalore and Chennai, wind speeds upto 80 kmph to 85 kmph can be expected," said the officials.
As the sea was rough, fishermen in these areas did not venture into the sea and schools remain closed. Some of the industrial houses on the coastal districts in South were shut as part of security measures.
Officials have said they are not expecting a severe storm but as part of security measures they have asked schools and industrial houses to stay closed.
Crops including paddy, groundnut and maize in the coastal districts of Nagapattinam and Cuddalore and in other parts of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh have started reporting damage, said local representatives.
It may be noted that the coastal district of Tamil Nadu had a severe impact when the strongest tropical cyclone Thane hit the state in December 2011. The cyclone had left at least 46 dead in Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry and the state government had alloted Rs 1,000 crore for construction of houses, farm lands and for small and medium enterprises and others.
