Chennai received 230 millimetres (mm) of rainfall in the last 24 hours and is expected to see the worst flooding after December 2015
Cyclonic Storm Michaung formed over the Bay of Bengal has intensified into a Severe Cyclonic Storm, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
The storm is likely to cross the south Andhra Pradesh coast between Nellore and Machilipatnam as a Severe Cyclonic Storm on the forenoon of December 5, 2023, with a windspeed ranging between 90 and 100 kilometres per hour (kmph) gusting to 110 kmph.
Michaung is moving slowly due to weak background atmospheric winds which steer the cyclone forward. As a result, it is causing heavy rainfall in the capital of Tamil Nadu, Vineet Kumar Singh, a researcher from Typhoon Research Centre, Jeju National University, South Korea, told Down To Earth.
“The rainbands are hovering over Chennai for a longer duration,” he added. The expert noted that Chennai received 230 millimetres (mm) of rainfall in the last 24 hours and is expected to see the worst flooding after December 2015.
The expert highlighted that another 200 mm is possible till 3-4 pm on December 4.
According to IMD, as of December 4, Chennai’s Meenambakam and Nungambakkam recorded 250.1 mm and 230.2 mm of rainfall, respectively.
Michaung is likely to weaken to a cyclonic storm on December 5 at 5.30 pm, turning into a depression the following day. IMD warned that north coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry are expected to see light to moderate rainfall in most places.
Coastal Andhra Pradesh will see light to moderate rainfall at most places and heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places on December 4 and 5 along with Rayalaseema, Telangana and Odisha.
The cyclone is also expected to wreak damage in Nellore, Tirupati, Prakasam, Bapatla, Guntur, Krishna and West Godavari along with adjoining coastal districts of north Tamil Nadu-Puducherry.
Michaung is the third cyclone this season that formed over the Bay of Bengal, It is also important to note that since 2018, a cyclone in the Bay of Bengal has formed in all three months of the post-monsoon season (October, November, and December).
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