Cyclone Mandous: Coastal guards initiate pre-emptive measures

New Delhi [India], December 8 (ANI): Eastern Region Indian Coast Guard has initiated pre-emptive measures in the wake of the approaching Cyclone Mandous, which is likely to hit Tamil Nadu on Friday.

"The state administration has been requested to sensitise the coastal populace and State Disaster Management Authorities have been requested to issue advisories through local print, television and electronic media," the officials said.

The cyclonic storm is approximately 420 km east-southeast of Karaikal and 520 km southeast of Chennai. A red alert has been issued for 13 districts in Tamil Nadu on Thursday and Friday following the deployment of the six National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams.

Fisheries authorities also have been requested to issue warnings to the fisher folk and the coastal populace.

Coast Guard ships and aircraft have been continuously issuing advisories and shepherding the fishing boats to return to harbour.

"All ports have been advised to issue warnings and monitor vessels at anchorage. Coastal Security Group has been requested to keep all assets on standby and operational for undertaking any search and rescue. All oil rigs and offshore installations have been requested to ensure the safety of personnel," the official further said.

The weather department on Thursday said that a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal that has intensified into Cyclonic Storm Mandous will likely cross Tamil Nadu and Puducherry by December 9 midnight.

"CS Mandous over SW BoB about 500km ESE of Karaikal. To move WNW and cross north Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and adjoining south AP coast bw Puducherry and Sriharikota with a wind speed of 70 kmph around midnight of 09 Dec," the India Meteorological Department (IMD) tweeted around Thursday noon.

Storm warning cage no. 2 has been mounted at Pamban Port of Rameshwaram island to warn fishermen of the upcoming storm and deter them from venturing out to the sea.

The MeT has already warned the fishermen not to venture into the rough seas for three days.

Heavy rain is expected along the Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh coastline, and Puducherry over the next few days, it said.

The depression intensified into cyclonic storm Mandous around 11.30 pm on Wednesday and was positioned at around 640 km southwest of the Chennai coast and about 370 km east-northeast of Trincomalee, Sri Lanka and 500 km east of Jaffna.

Earlier, the IMD predicted that the deep depression over the southwest and adjoining south-east Bay of Bengal was very likely to move west-northwestwards and intensify gradually into a cyclonic storm and reach the southwest Bay of Bengal, north Tamil Nadu Puducherry and adjoining South Andhra Pradesh coast by Thursday morning. (ANI)