A man runs for cover during rains in Kolkata. Photo Courtesy: AP.
Chennai
Heavy rains under the influence of cyclonic storm Laila lashed coastal districts of north Tamil Nadu, claiming two lives and throwing normal life out of gear.
Several fishermen, who put out to sea in 100 boats were reported missing since Monday, according to fisheries department sources.
The fishermen of Pamban, Uchipuli and nearby areas who ventured into sea on May 17 night in boats with outboard motors were missing, they said.
The cyclonic storm is expected to cross the Andhra Pradesh coast on Wednesday.
Police said a 52-year-old fisherman drowned in rough seas at Tirupalakudi in Ramanathapuram district, while a 24-year-old woman, an employee in a software firm in Chennai, was electrocuted at suburban Velachery.
Coastal areas of Chennai, Nagapattinam, Cuddalore, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur and Cuddalore districts have been experiencing heavy rains since Tuesday night.
A report from Cuddalore said three fishermen of Devanampattinam were missing after they ventured into sea in a fibre boat on Tuesday afternoon. Search operations could not be carried out immediately in view of high tides and very rough sea, officials said.
In another incident, four fishermen were injured when five boats capsized as they were heading towards shore in Cuddalore district, they said.
The Met office said Laila, which lay over southwest and adjoining West central Bay of Bengal, moved northwestwards and was now centred about 190 km east-northeast of Chennai.
The system was likely to intensify and move in a northwesterly to northerly direction and cross Andhra Pradesh coast between Nellore and Kakinada, close to Machilipatnam by Thursday.
Under its influence, north coastal Tamil Nadu and coastal Andhra Pradesh are likely to experience widespread rainfall with scattered heavy to very heavy falls and isolated extremely heavy falls in the next 48 hours starting this morning, it said.
Thozhudur (in Cuddalore) received maximum rainfall of 9 cm while Chennai reported 8 cm since Tuesday. Tiruvallur, Nagapattinam and Kancheepuram also received good rainfall.
Fishermen have been warned not to venture into the sea. Those living in huts along the coast have also been advised to move to safer places and people in rain affected areas to remain indoors.
Several areas in Chennai and suburbs were inundated as people were forced to wade through knee-deep water. Office goers were put to hardship as traffic in all major roads moved at snail's pace due to water logging.
In several areas, trees were uprooted in strong surface winds, compounding the woes of traffic managers.
High alert in Andhra
Coastal districts in Andhra Pradesh have been experiencing heavy rains since Wednesday morning under the influence of cyclonic storm over the Bay of Bengal.
A high alert has been sounded in coastal regions and revenue officials have started evacuating people from some areas of Visakhapatnam, Krishna, West and East Godavari districts, official sources said.
Similarly, coastal Orissa is likely to be lashed by thundershowers under the impact of Laila.
The current environmental conditions and Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) models suggested that the system was likely to intensify further and move in a northwesterly to northerly direction, the India Meteorological Department in Bhubaneswar said.
The cyclonic storm is likely to trigger rain or thundershowers at some places in south and north Orissa, it said.
Several fishermen, who put out to sea in 100 boats were reported missing since Monday, according to fisheries department sources.
The fishermen of Pamban, Uchipuli and nearby areas who ventured into sea on May 17 night in boats with outboard motors were missing, they said.
The cyclonic storm is expected to cross the Andhra Pradesh coast on Wednesday.
Police said a 52-year-old fisherman drowned in rough seas at Tirupalakudi in Ramanathapuram district, while a 24-year-old woman, an employee in a software firm in Chennai, was electrocuted at suburban Velachery.
Coastal areas of Chennai, Nagapattinam, Cuddalore, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur and Cuddalore districts have been experiencing heavy rains since Tuesday night.
A report from Cuddalore said three fishermen of Devanampattinam were missing after they ventured into sea in a fibre boat on Tuesday afternoon. Search operations could not be carried out immediately in view of high tides and very rough sea, officials said.
In another incident, four fishermen were injured when five boats capsized as they were heading towards shore in Cuddalore district, they said.
The Met office said Laila, which lay over southwest and adjoining West central Bay of Bengal, moved northwestwards and was now centred about 190 km east-northeast of Chennai.
The system was likely to intensify and move in a northwesterly to northerly direction and cross Andhra Pradesh coast between Nellore and Kakinada, close to Machilipatnam by Thursday.
Under its influence, north coastal Tamil Nadu and coastal Andhra Pradesh are likely to experience widespread rainfall with scattered heavy to very heavy falls and isolated extremely heavy falls in the next 48 hours starting this morning, it said.
Thozhudur (in Cuddalore) received maximum rainfall of 9 cm while Chennai reported 8 cm since Tuesday. Tiruvallur, Nagapattinam and Kancheepuram also received good rainfall.
Fishermen have been warned not to venture into the sea. Those living in huts along the coast have also been advised to move to safer places and people in rain affected areas to remain indoors.
Several areas in Chennai and suburbs were inundated as people were forced to wade through knee-deep water. Office goers were put to hardship as traffic in all major roads moved at snail's pace due to water logging.
In several areas, trees were uprooted in strong surface winds, compounding the woes of traffic managers.
High alert in Andhra
Coastal districts in Andhra Pradesh have been experiencing heavy rains since Wednesday morning under the influence of cyclonic storm over the Bay of Bengal.
A high alert has been sounded in coastal regions and revenue officials have started evacuating people from some areas of Visakhapatnam, Krishna, West and East Godavari districts, official sources said.
Similarly, coastal Orissa is likely to be lashed by thundershowers under the impact of Laila.
The current environmental conditions and Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) models suggested that the system was likely to intensify further and move in a northwesterly to northerly direction, the India Meteorological Department in Bhubaneswar said.
The cyclonic storm is likely to trigger rain or thundershowers at some places in south and north Orissa, it said.