SAN FRANCISCO (Diya TV) — Authorities in the southern India states of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh have been put on full alert as the country’s weather office predicted that a strong cyclone will hit the two states Monday.
There have been heavy rains in parts of the two states, and the cyclone is likely to make landfall along the city of Chennai on Monday afternoon.
As a result, schools and colleges in Tamil Nadu have been shut down, and rescue teams are on standby. Fishermen in both states have also been warned to keep their boats at the dock.
India’s weather office said that Cyclone Vardah, making its journey from the Bay of Bengal, is likely to hit the mainland “along and off” the city of Chennai with wind speeds of up to 63 mph. Coastal areas from both states are expecting to experience heavy rainfall — the city of Chennai has already been lashed by recent rainstorms.
The cyclone comes a little after a year since Chennai experienced devastating floods which killed 70 people. In December 2011, more than 30 people died and a multitude of homes were destroyed after a cyclone near the town of Pondicherry. In May 2010, at least 23 people died when a powerful cyclone ripped across the southern state of Andhra Pradesh.
India’s Navy said it is prepared to carry out relief operations that “all operational ships have been readied and kept on standby.”
