Cyclone Vardah: Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu on high alert

Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu on high alert, Chennai braces for storm

According to reports, cyclone Vardah is expected to make landfall this afternoon in Tamil Nadu, and the coastal areas of state have experienced heavy rainfall. Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu on high alert. People have been asked to stay indoors as the precautionary measure.

As per the report of cyclone warning centre in Visakhapatnam, the severe storm Vardah over west central adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal moved further nearly west- southwest –wards and lay centred at about 180 km east- northeast of Chennai and 250 km east- southeast of Nellore.

Here are few things you need to know about the cyclone

• The fishermen have been asked to avoid sea for the next 48 hours. The Met department has said that sea will be rough along and off the Andhra Pradesh and north Tamil Nadu coasts

• Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam held a meeting of the State Disaster Management Authority to review the situation

• The Tamil Nadu government has declared holiday in schools today, and have also asked private offices to allow their staff to take a day off or work from home

• National Disaster Management Authority, in a tweet, advised people “to remain in safe place and cooperate with state government officials.”

• The government has already deployed three teams of NDRF one each to Nellore as a precautionary measure

• Notably, all operational ships have been readied up at and kept standby to undertake Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief

• The Regional Met department has informed that the cyclone was progressing at the speed of 12 kms an hour

• The people who were affected by rains last year appreciate the role of defence forces in rescue and relief efforts