Cyclone Vardah

In view of the impending Vardah Cylone, the Beach Road will remain closed for all vehicles till the warning notice is withdrawn. The public is requested to keep away from the sea. Police pickets posted along coast line and in vulnerable pockets, says DGP S K Gautam.

Lawyers who were already in, circulated messages to their colleagues advising them not to come to the court.

The fallen trees have been cleared at Perambur and Egmore and and obstructions cleared and are being removed currently (11 hrs) at Chetput.

Additional ambulance pilots have been posted in Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kanchipuram and Cuddalore. They have 72 hour fuel and power back up in the control room.

Small and medium-sized factories are either shut today or are open with poor attendance.

In view of expected heavy to very heavy rainfall with isolated extremely heavy rainfall in districts of Chennai, Kanchipuram and Thiruvallur in association with very severe cyclonic storm ”Vardah”, good inflows are likely into the reservoirs of Poondi, Chembarampakkam and other lakes around the Chennai city. As the lakes are not full, the inflows shall increase the levels in the reservoirs considerably. State government has been advised to maintain strict vigil at all the lakes in case of exceptionally heavy rainfall, said a press release from union ministry of water resources.

Saidapet MLA M Subramanian creates a WhatsApp group to help his constituents hit by Vardah.

Train No.12655 Ahmedabad &ndash; Chennai Central Navajeevan Express scheduled to arrive Chennai Central at 16.05 on 12/12/16 will run via diverted route of Gudur, Renigunta and Arakkonam to Chennai Central.<br /> <br /> <br /> Train No.22859 Puri &ndash; Chennai Central weekly Superfast Express scheduled to arrive Chennai Central at 14.55 on 12/12/16 will run via diverted route of Gudur, Renigunta and Arakkonam to Chennai Central.

Cyclonic storm Vardah, which was earlier expected to weaken considerably, may not see its intensity going down when it makes landfall near Chennai today. According to the Cyclone Warning Division of the India Meteorological Department, (IMD), Vardah, which is currently, a very severe cyclonic storm, will weaken, but only to a severe cyclonic storm. The earlier forecast made by the IMD was that it would weaken into a cyclonic storm, thereby reducing its intensity considerably.

Due to prevailing weather conditions, Train No.12711 Vijayawada &ndash; Chennai Central Pinakini Express which left Vijayawada at 06.00 hrs today and which was earlier announced as partially cancelled between Gudur and Chennai Central, will now run via diverted route of Gudur, Renigunta and Arakkonam to Chennai Central (Gudur Departure 10.40 hrs).

Storm surge: About 1 mtr height

People in north coastal AP who have relatives working as migrant labourers in Chennai are worried as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has announced that cyclone Vardah is likely to make a landfall between south coastal AP and north coastal Tamil Nadu close to Chennai on Monday. According to sources, nearly 10 lakh people from the three north coastal districts of Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam and Srikakulam have migrated to different places across the globe including metro cities like Chennai in search of work.

The armed forces have been asked to be on standby with the amy, navy and air force prepared to be deployed anytime as and when required.

Flight services were so far operating smoothly in Chennai, airport officials said.

Read on to know the dos and don'ts to keep in mind while preparing to negotiate this weather phenomenon.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"> <p dir="ltr" lang="und"> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CycloneVardah?src=hash">#CycloneVardah</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Helpline?src=hash">#Helpline</a> <a href="https://t.co/vhH9Fn3Occ">pic.twitter.com/vhH9Fn3Occ</a></p> amp;&mdash; NDMA India (@ndmaindia) <a href="https://twitter.com/ndmaindia/status/807898690211823616">December 11, 2016</a></blockquote>

There are 6 teams in Andhra Pradesh and 8 teams in Tamil Nadu & Puducherry: SP Selvan, DIG NDRF #cyclonevardah pic.twitter.com/yPd9KPGilf

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

Chennai Central: 044-29015206

Chennai Egmore: 044-29015202

'Vardah', which means 'red rose', is expected to hit northern Tamil Nadu and southern Andhra Pradesh by today afternoon.

Rain lashes Chennai: MeT says #CycloneVardah is moving westward towards Chennai, likely to cross near Chennai this afternoon pic.twitter.com/eZBqHnVoHU

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

On Sunday evening, the Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Authority met under the chairmanship of chief minister O Panneerselvam to review the preparations to face the cyclone. The meeting was attended by key ministers and top officials.

Due to the Vardah Cyclone which is expected to cross Chennai Coast area around 12 noon today, the following trains are fully/partially cancelled as a precautionary measure.<br /> <br /> TRAINS FULLY CANCELLED<br /> <br /> Train No.66026 Sullurpetta &ndash; Chennai Central (Moore Market Complex) leaving Sullurpetta at noon 12.00 hrs on 12th December 2016 is fully cancelled.<br /> <br /> <br /> TRAINS PARTIALLY CANCELLED<br /> <br /> Train No.12711 Vijayawada &ndash; Chennai Central Pinakini Express leaving Vijayawada at 06.00 hrs on 12th December 2016 is partially cancelled between Gudur and Chennai Central<br /> <br /> Train No.12712 Chennai Central - Vijayawada Pinakini Express leaving Chennai Central at 14.05 hrs on 12th December 2016 is partially cancelled between Chennai Central and Gudur<br /> <br /> Train No.66030 Nellore &ndash; Sullurpetta MEMU leaving Nellore at 10.00 hrs on 12th December 2016 is partially cancelled between Gudur and Sullurpetta.

For TN, we've prepositioned 3 teams in Chennai,2 in Kanchipuram,2 in Tiruvallur, one team on its way to Puducherry: DG, NDRF #cyclonevardah pic.twitter.com/EGVMjxK9X2

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

Very severe cyclonic storm Vardah is on its way to making landfall close to Chennai by Monday afternoon, the India Meteorological Department said.

The latest IMD bulletin released at 3.30am said, "The very severe cyclonic storm Vardah now lies at 220km east-northeast off Chennai. It likely to cross close to Chennai by Monday afternoon."

With the India Meteorological Department forecasting severe cyclonic storm Vardah to bring heavy rainfall over the city, the Greater Chennai Corporation on Sunday issued an advisory to residents urging them to stay away from beaches.

All schools and colleges in Chennai, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur districts and coastal taluks of Villupuram district will remain closed on Monday as severe cyclonic storm Vardah is likely to bring heavy rain in the northern coastal areas of Tamil Nadu and in the southern coastal districts of neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.

Cyclonic storm 'Vardah' over the Bay of Bengal has turned into a "very severe" one. The storm is likely to cross north Tamil Nadu and south Andhra Pradesh coast by Monday afternoon. Light to moderate rains are likely to occur over north coastal Andhra.

Chennai and adjoining districts in north Tamil Nadu as well as south Andhra Pradesh coast will receive heavy to very heavy rain starting Sunday evening due to a severe cyclonic storm -- Vardah (pronounced vaardah, an Urdu word given by Pakistan) - which is likely to make landfall on Monday evening.

In preparation for the relief efforts of very severe cyclone Vardah, the Eastern Naval Command has assumed high degree of readiness to render necessary assistance. The severe cycle lay 450 km approx East North East of Chennai and is likely to make landfall north of Chennai in the afternoon/evening of December 12. All operational ships have been readied up and kept standby to undertake Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations including evacuation, should the situation demand. These ships are embarked with additional divers, doctors, inflatable rubber boats, integral helicopters and relief material that include food, tentage, clothes, medicines, blankets etc., in quantities sufficient to sustain over 5,000 personnel.