Chennai and Tamil Nadu are bracing for cyclone Nada, expected to land at Cuddalore on December 2 early morning. What this cyclone brings for Chennai is plenty of rain but not in the quantity of rain that caused floods last year around the same time. However, there could be some destruction in the areas the cyclone passes through with wind speeds of 45kmph to 55kmph. State government has readied two NDRF teams and one SDRF team have been stationed at Cuddalore and relief centres readied for evacuation in case of need. One team each of the NDRF and SDRF are being positioned at Nagapattinam and Chennai. Said Cuddalore collector said 49 coastal villages have been identified that could bear the brunt of the cyclone now estimated to be 730km south west away from the Tamil Nadu coast. It is expected to make a landfall between Vedaranyam and Puducherry near Cuddalore on Friday. Wind speeds of upto 45kmph to 55kmph could lash through Cuddalore, Karaikal and Puduchery when it hits the land, S Balachandran, director, Met office in Chennai told Hindustan Times. Strong winds and heavy to very heavy rain is expected in coastal Tamil Nadu and Chennai will start receiving rain from Thursday morning, he said. We have advised the fishermen against going into deep sea for fishing, he said. All the concerned government departments are gearing up to handle the situation. There could be some damage to thatched houses, power lines, transmission towers and cellphone towers during the cyclone Nada, Balachandran said. State government has directed all district collectors to take all precautionary steps to make preparations to evacuate people from low lying areas to relief centres. Fishermen are advised not to venture in to sea and to keep their boats tied up in safe places. The public are also advised to move to the relief centres as and when advised by the District Collector, the state government said in a press statement issued on Wednesday evening. All schools in five districts of Chennai, Kancheepuram, Nagapattinam, Tiruvallur and Cuddalore have been closed for two days. Anna University has postponed all engineering colleges examinations scheduled to be held over the two days and fresh dates would be announced later.
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