Cyclone Fengal Triggers Heavy Rain In Tamil Nadu, Puducherry; Three Lives Lost

Cyclone Fengal (pronounced 'Feinjal') made landfall along the Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coast on Saturday evening, bringing heavy rainfall and flooding several parts of Chennai. Three individuals lost their lives in separate rain-related electrocution incidents. Despite severe weather, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry escaped major damage, though the region received 44 cm of rain—the highest in 30 years.

Chennai airport, which was closed for 16 hours due to the cyclone, resumed operations at 1 am on Sunday. However, numerous flights were delayed or canceled. The first flight to land post-reopening was Kuwait Airways at 4:08 am, departing again at 5:18 am.

Since Saturday, relentless rainfall has affected Chennai, its neighboring districts, and Puducherry. Public transport, including buses, trains, and flights, experienced disruptions, prompting authorities to evacuate residents in vulnerable areas to safer shelters.

According to the IMD, Cyclone Fengal remained stationary over the northern Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coastline and is expected to weaken into a deep depression within six hours.