Cyclone Vardah

Union home minister Rajnath Singh on Monday enquired with Tamil Nadu chief minister O Panneerselvam about the situation after cyclone Vardah made landfall in Chennai and surrounding districts.

"The chief minister informed the Union minister that the administrative machinery in Tamil Nadu was kept in readiness in all aspects to face the cyclone," said an official statement.

Milk supply to cyclone Vardah hit people in Chennai, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur districts was not affected today and will be normal tomorrow, as state run Tamil Nadu Cooperative Milk Producers' Federation Ltd said it had taken steps for normal distribution.

The Federation, popularly known as AAVIN, said it's dairy farms in Madhavaram, Ambattur and Sholinganallur are operating with generators and milk was supplied to its outlets and to residences across the city today as usual.

With cyclone 'Vardah' becoming stronger in Chennai, 25 direct flights have been cancelled between Bengaluru and Chennai on Monday. The Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) Bengaluru officials said 11 direct flights arriving from Chennai and 14 departures from Bengaluru have been cancelled due to the cyclone. There are 22 arrivals and 31 departures daily, flying directly between the two cities.

These youngsters, employees at IT firms in Chennai and living in Mandaveli, played with gay abandon. They declined to share their names, fearing being recognised by their bosses, who assumed that they were working from home.

Cyclone Vardah is set to pass through south Goa on Wednesday, which will lead to rise in temperature and light rains in the state from tomorrow onwards, an official said today.

"The cyclone, which hit Tamil Nadu today, will reach Karnataka by tomorrow," M L Sahu, Director of India Meteorological Department's observatory in Goa, told reporters.

The SriLankan Airlines on Monday said all its Chennai-bound flights were cancelled till Tuesday morning after authorities issued a red alert due to severe cyclonic storm "Vardah" which made a landfall in Tamil Nadu.

Airlines Spokesman Deepal Perera said that since flight operations at Chennai International Airport have been suspended due to severe weather, SriLankan Airlines had cancelled all its flights till Tuesday morning.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh spoke to Tamil Nadu CM O Panneerselvam enquiring about situation in the aftermath of cyclone Vardah crossing Chennai, Tiruvallur. (ANI)

12679 Chennai Central Coimbatore Intercity Express
12695 Chennai Central Trivandrum Express
12685 Chennai Central Mangaluru Express
22637 West Coast Express

Due to adverse weather, all our arrivals and departures to and from Chennai for December 12 stand cancelled, Jet Airways says

10,000 food packets of breakfast and lunch have been distributed to people

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Complete landfall to take another couple of hours.Conditions to remain severe between <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Chennai?src=hash">#Chennai</a> &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Nellore?src=hash">#Nellore</a> -<br> Sh.K.G.Ramesh,DG IMD <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/vardah?src=hash">#vardah</a></p>&amp; mdash; NDMA India (@ndmaindia) <a href="https://twitter.com/ndmaindia/status/808252352029282304">December 12, 2016</a></blockquote>

Four SDRF teams deployed in Villupuram, Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram.

Of the 266 relief centres opened, 95 are in operation. About 8,000 people evacuated so far and 10,754 food packets supplied.

Sri Lankan Airlines on Monday cancelled all flights to Chennai due to cyclone Vardah hitting the Tami Nadu coast, officials said. Airline spokesman Deepal Perera said the Chennai International Airport was closed and the airline had cancelled all its flights till Tuesday morning. "A red alert has been issued," Perera said.

&bull; Passenger Special to Madurai will leave at 14.30 hrs on 12/12/16 from Chengalpattu to the timings of Train No.12635 Vaigai Express.<br /> <br /> &bull; Passenger Special to Karaikkudi will leave at 16.40 hrs from Chengalpattu to the timings of Train No.12605 Pallavan Express.

Wind speed at present around 100-110 km/hour. Chennai recorded maximum wind speed of 192 Km/hour: M Mahapatra, ADG MeT Dept #cyclonevardah pic.twitter.com/5dhPSP4x9H

& mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) December 12, 2016

Weathermen have predicted Bengaluru city and other places of Bengaluru Urban district are likely to experience widespread rainfall coupled with gusty winds at 40 to 50 kmph from today (December 12) evening till December 14. Officials from the Indian Meteorological Centre, Bengaluru, said that the rains are due to cyclonic storm Vardah, which has already hit the Chennai coast resulting in heavy rains there. Civic authorities have alerted citizens in Bengaluru that strong winds are likely to uproot trees and would endanger life and property. &ldquo;So be cautious while driving your vehicles. Don&rsquo;t park your vehicles under the trees. We have already informed control rooms to be active and keep the rescue team on high alert,&rdquo; said city Mayor G Padmavathy in her tweet.

Power supply has been suspended in many parts of Chennai as a precautionary measure. About 8,000 people from low lying areas in north Chennai, Pazhaverkadu in Tiruvallur district and villages off Mamallapuram, in Kanchipuram district have been safely evacuated to 95 relief shelters, officials said.

Long distance buses have been stalled and traffic came to a grinding halt in most areas in Chennai with uprooted trees and electric poles blocking the roads.

"Clearing trees that are obstructing movement is out biggest worry now," Greater Chennai Corporation Deputy Commissioner, K S Kandasamy told TOI. "We request people to remain indoors until further notice."

"All precautions are taken at nuclear plant Kalpakkam to face Vardah. So far all is well and plant operation is normal. The plant is in touch with the India Meteorological Department," the National Disaster Management Authority said in a statement.

Sullurpeta (Andhra Pradesh): Crude oil tanker overturns due to strong winds & storm #cyclonevardah pic.twitter.com/PIxwhzTVn6

& mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) December 12, 2016

* Cyclone Vardah begins landfall near Chennai

* Strong winds cause heavy damage, trees uprooted

* Heavy rain lashes Chennai city

* People are being evacuated from low-lying areas in Coastal Andhra.

* All flight operations suspended till 3pm at Chennai airport.

* Out of 7 Army columns on standby, one column already requisitioned and moving to deploy at Trinavalur, 50 Km North of Chennai.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu also said that food and other essential commodities have been kept ready in adequate quantities.

Very severe tropical Cyclone Vardah began its landfall this afternoon in areas surrounding Chennai, in northern Tamil Nadu and off of the southern coast of Andhra Pradesh. It is expected to take three hours to subside. Read on to know more about the Landfall.

We have to remain cautious & ensure that we are vigilant for next 24 to 36 hours: Harsh Vardhan, Union Min for Science&Tech & Earth Sciences pic.twitter.com/AjWZpAtCHA

&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) December 12, 2016

#CycloneVardah. Six Army columns ready and on standby for Rescue & Relief Operations.

&mdash; ADG PI - INDIAN ARMY (@adgpi) December 12, 2016

All operations at the Chennai airport suspended till 3pm today.