Chennai: 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 here Saturday.
Citing data and observations, IMD-Regional Meteorological Centre, Additional Director General, S Balachandran told PTI that the process of the cyclone’s landfall commenced at about 5.30 pm on November 30.
On the area of landfall, he said it was close to ‘Puducherry area’ and that it may take approximately 4 hours for the completion of the landfall process and added that more related information would be made available later.
In an update at 7.35 pm, the IMD said: “Latest observations indicate that the forward sector of spiral bands associated with the cyclone has entered into the land. It is likely to move west-southwestwards and cross north Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts between Karaikal and Mahabalipuram close to Puducherry as a cyclonic storm with a wind speed of 70-80 kmph gusting to 90 kmph during next 3 to 4 hours.”
The cyclonic storm over Southwest Bay of Bengal was about 40 km away from the coast, 50 km south-southeast of Mahabalipuram (Tamil Nadu), 60 km east-northeast of Puducherry and 90 km south of Chennai, the IMD added.
PTI