Entire Puducherry town is flooded in yesterday’s heavy downpour of 46 cm rainfall, the highest since 2004 when it was 21 cm.

Chennai airport announced suspension of operations till 4 am on December 1 following heavy inundation of runways and the taxiway

Cyclonic storm Fengal has commenced making landfall close to Puducherry and it may approximately take 4 hours for it to cross the coast completely, an India Meteorological Department (IMD) official said.

Cyclone Fengal caused record-breaking rains in Puducherry, which recorded 48.4 centimetres of rainfall in the 24 hours ending 8.30 am on Sunday. This marks the Union territory’s heaviest cumulative 24-hour rainfall in 30 years.

Cyclone Fengal made landfall as it crossed the Tamil Nadu coast between Karaikal and Mahabalipuram. The cyclone triggered heavy rainfall and strong winds over coastal districts in north Tamil Nadu, flooding low-lying areas and disrupting flights and train services in Chennai.

The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) has issued a red alert for Sunday, forecasting rainfall over Villupuram, Kallakurichi, Cuddalore, and Puducherry.

Due to the impact of cyclone Fengal, many coastal areas witnessed changes in weather with gusty winds and rain.

The storm, the second to develop over the Bay of Bengal this season, packed gusts reaching up to 90 km per hour as it crossed the coastline. The Regional Meteorological Centre in Chennai warned of continued heavy rainfall through Sunday,

Chennai and nearby areas experienced heavy rains due to cyclone Fengal, disrupting transport services and prompting evacuations. While no major damage was reported, hospitals were inundated, and operations at Chennai airport were suspended.