Cyclonic Storm Fengal on Sunday began crossing the coast of north Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, bringing strong winds and heavy rainfall to the region. According to the latest updates from the India Meteorological Department (IMD),

Normal life was crippled in Puducherry due to heavy rains that lashed the union territory in the wake of Cyclone Fengal, which crossed the coast here on November 30 night.

Cyclone Fengal caused record-breaking rains in Puducherry, which recorded 48.4 centimetres of rainfall in the 24 hours ending 8.30 am on Sunday. This marks the Union territory’s heaviest cumulative 24-hour rainfall in 30 years.

Following Cyclone Fengal making landfall in Puducherry on Saturday, intense weather conditions at Chennai International Airport on Sunday led to dramatic scenes as flights struggled to land amid strong crosswinds and poor visibility.

After the landfall, the Cyclone is forecasted to move west-southwestwards and gradually weaken into a deep depression within the next six hours.

Cyclone Fengal made landfall as it crossed the Tamil Nadu coast between Karaikal and Mahabalipuram. The cyclone triggered heavy rainfall and strong winds over coastal districts in north Tamil Nadu, flooding low-lying areas and disrupting flights and train services in Chennai.

The cyclone, classified as a cyclonic storm with wind speeds of 65-75 km/h gusting up to 85 km/h, disrupted transportation across the region

The storm, the second to develop over the Bay of Bengal this season, packed gusts reaching up to 90 km per hour as it crossed the coastline. The Regional Meteorological Centre in Chennai warned of continued heavy rainfall through Sunday,