Cyclone Fengal: Chennai airport shut till 7 PM

Chennai International Airport has been temporarily shut down till 7 PM on Saturday in view of cyclone Fengal making landfall today evening.

As heavy rainfall and strong winds intensified ahead of the cyclone, it is expected to cross between Karaikal and Mahabalipuram coasts, near Puducherry tonight.

#Alert | In light of Cyclonic Storm 'Fengal' and the forecasted high crosswinds, as predicted by IMD, Chennai Airport operations will be suspended from 1230 hrs to 1900 hrs on 30.11.2024 (Today) following safety concerns raised by stakeholder airlines. We recommend passengers... pic.twitter.com/f2eWTOrNLj

- Chennai (MAA) Airport (@aaichnairport) November 30, 2024

Multiple airlines companies already issued travel advisories and updates on their flight plans due to the continuing heavy rainfall in Chennai Tamilnadu.

Earlier, IndiGo airlines diverted all flights scheduled to come to Chennai.

"Due to the impact of CycloneFengal in Chennai, flights operating to the city are being diverted. Our crew and airport teams are dedicated to providing all possible support & assistance during this time. We sincerely appreciate your patience and understanding," the X post by IndiGo said.

Meanwhile, security at the Puducherry coast has also increased as Puducherry Senior Superintendent of Police, Kalaivanan visited the beaches and the coastal roads in the region and inspected them for preparedness.

The authorities have advised the public to not visit beaches in Puducherry as well as in Tamil Nadu's Chennai, including Marina Beach, Pattinapakkam and Edward Elliot Beach. The tourist spots in Puducherry have been closed as a precautionary measure, owing to the impending cyclone Fengal.

Puducherry Police in a post on X advised citizens, "In view of Cyclone Fengal, we urge you to exercise extreme caution and avoid visiting beaches and coastal areas"

The SSP said that 300 police personnel have been deployed on various coastal roads and beaches.

"For the last four days, we have been deploying police personnel along the beaches and apart from that we are also informing the fishermen and people living in the low-lying areas to be careful. Fishermen are not venturing into the sea. Since last night, we have closed all beaches. We have deployed nearly 300 personnel across all the beaches of Puducherry and we are coordinating with the NDRF also," the SSP said.

The coastal areas of Puducherry witnessed rough sea and gusty winds on Saturday morning due to the impact of the cyclone. Puducherry received moderate rain, as per IMD, in the morning today but the rough sea was seen more than usual.