Cyclone Nivar to intensify into very severe cyclonic storm, hit Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coast today
Cyclone Nivar is on track to cross the Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts late Wednesday evening. Cyclone Nivar was earlier predicted to make landfall as a severe cyclonic storm, but now is expected to cross the coast as a very severe cyclonic storm.
Cyclone Nivar is all set to hit the South Indian coast at a greater than expected intensity Wednesday late evening. The cyclone, which was earlier predicted to reach 'severe cyclonic storm' category at the time of landfall, is now expected to intensify into a 'very severe cyclonic storm' when it crosses the Indian coast on late on Wednesday evening. The landfall point will be close to Puducherry and the IMD is predicting strong winds and heavy to very heavy rain over parts of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
According to the IMD's current tracking, Cyclone Nivar will cross the coast between Karaikal and Mamallapuram.
"It is very likely to move west-northwestwards for the next 6 hours and then northwestwards. It is very likely to cross Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts between Karaikal and Mamallapuram around Puducherry during November 25 late evening as a very severe cyclonic storm with a wind speed of 120-130 km/hr gusting to 145 km/hr," IMD said in its latest bulletin, released late on Tuesday.
"It is very likely to intensify further into a severe cyclonic storm during next 06 hours and into a very severe cyclonic storm during the subsequent 12 hours," the IMD said.
Cyclone Nivar is the second cyclone to form over the Bay of Bengal after May's Super Cyclone Amphan that left several parts of West Bengal devastated. The IMD will be providing hourly updates on Wednesday when Cyclone Nivar is expected to make landfall in late evening.
CYCLONE NIVAR TO BRING HEAVY RAIN, STRONG WINDS
The IMD has predicted strong winds and heavy rain in parts of southern India as a result of Cyclone Nivar's effects. The IMD has issued a red alert for coastal and north interior Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal for November 25.
"Isolated extremely heavy rainfall activity also very likely over coastal and north interior Tamil Nadu and Puducherry (Pudukottai, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Karaikal, Nagapattinam, Cuddalore, Ariyalur and Perabalu districts during 24th and Kadalur, Kallakurchi, Puducherry, Villupuram, Tiruvannamalai, Chengalpattu to Ariyalur, Perambalur and Karaikal districts during 25th) and over Nellore and Chittoor districts of Andhra Pradesh on 25th and over Rayalseema and southeast Telangana on 26th November," the IMD said in Tuesday bulletin.
Damage to thatched huts, disruption of power and communication lines, damage to roads, uprooting of trees, and damage to crops like banana and papaya are all possible.
PREPARATIONS FOR CYCLONE NIVAR
The National Disaster Response Force will act as the primary responder for Cyclone Nivar and its after-effects. The force has pre-positioned 22 teams at areas likely to be impacted in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Andhra Pradesh, NDRF said in a statement released Tuesday.
These include 12 teams in Tamil Nadu, three teams in Puducherry, and seven in Andhra Pradesh. Teams have also been kept reserve at Guntur (Andhra Pradesh), Thrissur (Kerala) and Mundli (Odisha). All teams are equipped with PPEs besides the usual disaster management equipment.
Earlier on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured all help to states that would be impacted by Cyclone Nivar. In Tamil Nadu, CM Edappadi K. Palaniswami has announced a state holiday for Wednesday, while in Andhra Pradesh (which is not directly in Cyclone Nivar's predicted track), CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy held a review meet with district-level civic and police officers.
WHEN WILL CYCLONE NIVAR MAKE LANDFALL?
Cyclone Nivar is expected to make landfall between Karaikal and Mamallapuram late evening today. At the time of making landfall, Cyclone Nivar is expected to bring winds of 120-130 kilometres per hour gusting to 145 kmph.
Cyclone Nivar, a name given by Iran, is the fourth named cyclonic storm of the 2020 North Indian Ocean cyclone season. The others include Cyclones Amphan, Nisarga and Gati.
Of these, Cyclone Amphan was the most devastating, hitting West Bengal in May as a Super Cyclone. Cyclone Nisarga followed a month later, forming over the Arabian Sea and crossing the coast near Mumbai. Cyclone Gati formed just a few days ago over the Arabian Sea making landfall in Africa's Somalia on November 22.
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