Cyclone Fengal Brings Chaos To Coastal Tamil Nadu, Chennai Airport Resumes Ops; Storm To Weaken Soon

Cyclone Fengal, which struck near Puducherry's coastline on Saturday night, brought torrential rain and high winds to Chennai and other parts of the Union Territory, disrupting daily life and affecting travel.

According to the India Meteorological Department, the cyclonic storm, which generated winds of up to 90 km/h and heavy rainfall, is expected to gradually weaken into a deep depression within the next few hours.

Photo Credit: PTI

Tragically, at least three people lost their lives due to electrocution in various rain-related incidents in Chennai on Saturday, officials confirmed.

Among the victims was a migrant worker who was electrocuted while attempting to withdraw cash from an ATM. His body was later discovered floating nearby.

#WATCH | Flood-like situation can be seen as #FengalCyclone made landfall on the Puducherry coast at 7 pm on Saturday.

Storm to move south-west of Tamil Nadu, weaken into deep depression, says IMD

Drone visuals from the Rainbow Nagar area of Puducherry shot around 7:45 am pic.twitter.com/WvHqIbqUVa

— ANI (@ANI) December 1, 2024

In Puducherry, normal life was severely impacted as the region recorded approximately 10 cm of rainfall between 8:30 am and 6:00 pm on Saturday, leading to significant waterlogging in several areas.

Chennai Airport Resumes Operations

The severe weather conditions across Tamil Nadu disrupted numerous flights at Chennai International Airport, prompting authorities to issue travel advisories for passengers amid the heavy rainfall.

Flight operations resumed at the airport at 4:00 am on Sunday, following Cyclone Fengal's landfall. Services had been suspended the previous day due to the storm's impact.

#WATCH | Tamil Nadu | Flight operations resumed at Chennai International Airport at 4.00 am today. The services were suspended since yesterday due to #CycloneFengal pic.twitter.com/s7dNAqMx3A

— ANI (@ANI) December 1, 2024

Scenes of confusion unfolded at the airport as passengers faced lengthy delays, with many waiting for up to 12 hours before the situation stabilised.

One passenger shared, "I came to Chennai airport yesterday at 6 pm. My flight has been cancelled due to cyclone Fengal. The flight we booked has not been responded to yet. We have been here at the airport for the past 12 hours."

Aftermath of Cyclone Fengal

In Chennai, heavy rainfall left many hospitals and homes severely flooded. Civic volunteers worked tirelessly to restore normalcy, with operations carried out on a 'war footing.'

Traffic barricades were swept away, and commuters sought shelter as the downpour affected various areas in and around the city.

Two state-run hospitals in Chromepet-a general hospital and a thoracic medicine facility-were among those inundated by floodwater. Both institutions, situated close to one another, are frequently visited by the public.