Heavy rains lashed Chennai on Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning. A scene at Kodambakkam in Chennai.
Hyderabad/Chennai: Laila, a nasty and wild tropical storm, intensified on Wednesday and is likely to ram the Andhra Pradesh coast on Thursday. The cyclone has already brought in heavy rain, soaking coastal AP from Vishakapatnam to Ongole and Chennai to Cuddalore in Tamil Nadu.
Laila is likely to cross the coast between Visakhapatnam and Ongole early on Thursday.The administration in Andhra Pradesh's coastal region is on high alert and National Disaster Response Force was called in for rescue operations.
Meanwhile, heavy rains lashed Vishakapatnam and Chennai on Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning, upsetting normal life.
Second warning signals have been hoisted at all Andhra ports as the depression over the Bay of Bengal turned into a cyclonic storm and lay centred 550 km south-southeast of Visakhapatnam.
The rains in Chennai hit traffic in many places.
"Under the influence of this system, north coastal Tamil Nadu and coastal Andhra Pradesh are likely to experience widespread rainfall with scattered heavy to very heavy falls (25 cms or more) and isolated extremely heavy falls during next 48 hours," said a bulletin issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
Strong gales with speed reaching 65-75 km an hour are likely to commence along and off Andhra Pradesh coast Tuesday night. It may increase to 115-125 kmph at the time of landfall early Wednesday mroning. Since the sea condition will also be rough, the fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea.
The state government has called in the National Disaster Response Force from Tamil Nadu and Bhubaneshwar for rescue operations. The force from Bhubaneshwar will be stationed at Visakhapatnam to look after the rescue operations in the districts of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam and East Godavari, said a statement from the Chief Minister's Office.
Low lying areas in Chennai were flooded due to heavy rain on Tuesday night.
The personnel from Arakonam, Tamil Nadu, will be stationed at Vijayawada to look after the rescue operations in the districts of West Godavari, Krishna, Guntur, Prakasam and Nellore.
The official machinery in all the nine coastal districts has been asked to be on high alert. Leave of employees has been cancelled till May 25. Those on leave have been asked to report back immediately.
Minister for Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation D. Prasada Rao told reporters here that the leave of employees, especially in departments like disaster management, revenue, police, fire services, electricity, roads and buildings and Panchayat Raj, has been cancelled.
Chief Minister K. Rosaiah directed the district collectors to take all preventive measures to minimise the loss of life and property. He asked them to be ready for evacuating to safer places the people likely to be affected.
Heavy rain in Chennai brought down the temperature
A sub-committee of top officials will be formed immediately for round-the-clock monitoring of the situation. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has also issued cyclonic storm advisory, asking the state government to keep a close watch and take appropriate precautionary measures.
Following the advisory, control rooms have been opened at the state secretariat and at all district headquarters.
The chief minister asked the officials to be ready with alternative steps for effective communication in case there is damage to communication network.
Meanwhile, Laila is unlikely to impact the progress of India's monsoon rains, expected to arrive on May 30, the country's top weather official said in Delhi on Tuesday.
"The cyclone may lead to heavy rainfall in the eastern region. I do not see its impact on monsoon," Ajit Tyagi, director general of the India Meteorological Department, told Reuters. He said the weather office stood by its forecast of monsoon arriving in Kerala by end May.
"So far, we stick to our earlier forecast. We are constantly reviewing it," Tyagi said.
Cyclone Laila is likely to cross AP coast between Vishakapatnam and Ongloe on Thursday morning.
Earth Sciences Minister Prithviraj Chavan on Friday forecast monsoon clouds would touch Kerala on May 30, two days before the normal date.
Good monsoon rains will help the country boost output of crops such as rice, corn, cotton and soybean after last year's poor rains in nearly four decades hit farm output, pushing up prices.
High inflation led to severe criticism of the government, which has dropped import tax on sugar, wheat and vegetable oils to bolster supplies.
India's keenly watched wholesale price index rose an annual 9.59 percent in April, while the food price index jumped 16.44 percent in the year to May 1.
