Torrential overnight rains accompanied by squally winds lashed Kanyakumari on Wednesday, uprooting scores of trees and affecting normal life. The district administration asked people not to venture out following the heavy rains and squally winds. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) on Thursday issued a cyclone warning for Lakshadweep islands and parts of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, saying the regions will receive heavy to very heavy rainfall over the next 48 hours, according to media reports. Many parts suffered power cuts even as educational institutions remained closed in this district. A couple of trains, originating and passing through this district suffered partial to full cancellation, even as some of them were rescheduled, Southern Railway officials said. Local administration employed personnel to remove uprooted trees even as movement of vehicular traffic was affected. Meanwhile, rains accompanied with strong winds lashed many parts of south Tamil Nadu such as Tirunelveli and Tuticorin among others. Fishermen stayed off the sea in Tuticorin even as boats anchored on the shore suffered damage following strong winds. Educational institutions remained closed in southern districts such as Tirunelveli, Tuticorin, Viruthunagar and Thanjavur.
Chennai weather updates: Cyclone Ockhi to intensify into severe storm by tomorrow morning; wind speed to reach 120 kmph
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) on Thursday issued a cyclone warning for Lakshadweep islands and parts of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, saying the regions will receive heavy to very heavy rainfall over the next 48 hours, according to media reports.
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Cyclone Ockhi to intensify into severe storm by tomorrow morning
Here’s the latest Insat Satellite image of cloud cover over south India
Image Courtesy: SkymetWeather.com
Deep depression over Comorin area moved west-northwestwards lies centred over South Kerala coast
Tamil Nadu state Disaster Management advises people to stay away from damaged buildings
Courtallam waterfalls in Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu declared out of bounds for tourists
Around 200 fishermen missing, Indian Navy, Air Force to join search ops
Over 200 fisherman, who had gone into the sea have failed to return to the Thiruvananthapuram coast on Thursday, Manorama Online reported.
The district collector requested the Indian naval forces to help with the rescue operations, following which Navy’s Southern Naval Command has deployed 4 ships to help with search operations, ANI reported_._
Here’s the possible route of Cyclone Ockhi
All schools, colleges in Kanyakumari to remain shut on Friday
Death toll rises to five
Four people were killed in Tamil Nadu and one in Kerala as heavy rains lashed the southern states.
Kerala schools to remain shut on Friday, Sabrimala pilgrims warned
NDTV reported that as a precautionary measure, all schools in Kerala’s Thiruvananthipuram and Kollam districts will remai shut. Other coastal towns are likely to follow suit.
Sabarimala pilgrims have also been asked to avoid travel between 6 pm and 7 am and to not use forest path to reach the shrine. The pilgrims have been asked not to take rest beneath trees or near streams, to avoid shower in rivers and streams on the way, The News Minute reported.
Southern Naval Command begins search operation for missing fishermen
According to ANI, the Southern Naval Command is also gearing up to provide humanitarian assistance and disaster relief that may be required in the southern part of Kerala.
Cyclone Ockhi brings rains to coastal areas of Tamil Nadu, Kerala
How cyclone ‘Ockhi’ got its name
The name Ockhi was given by Bangladesh which in Bengali means ‘eye’, The Hindu reported.
“Eight north Indian Ocean countries — Bangladesh, India, the Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Thailand, gave eight names each which was combined into a list of 64 names. One name from each country is picked in an order to name the cyclones,” the report read.
Rahul Gandhi’s Kerala visit postponed
Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s Kerala rally has been postponed in view of the cyclonic storm that his hit the coastal parts of the state. Rahul was scheduled to address a rally in Kerala’s capital Thiruvananthapuram on Friday, marking the culmination of a month-long Padayorukkam road-show of the state’s Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala.
65 relief camps setup in Kanyakumari; local authorities have started clearing off uprooted trees
#Watch: Visuals from Kanyakumari as coastal Tamil Nadu town braces strong winds, heavy rainfall
காற்றின் வேகத்தால் கன்னியாகுமரியில் முறிந்து கிடக்கும் மரங்கள்… #ஓக்கி புயல்… #CycloneOckhi pic.twitter.com/5UVwId2Beb
— News18 Tamil Nadu (@News18TamilNadu) November 30, 2017
InPictures: Images show scale of storm in Kerala
Four dead in Kanyakumari; storm likely to intensify
Four people, including one woman have been killed in Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu. All four deaths were due to uprooting of trees, according to the police, DNA reported.
Cyclone Ockhi, the first tropical storm of the season : Five points
- Ockhi may intensify into a severe cyclonic storm during the next 24 hours
- The storm got its name in Bangladesh. The tropical storms are given names for ease in communication.
- Squally winds speed is already reaching 55-65 kmph around Lakshadweep, which is further expected to intensify up to 80-85 kmph during next 12 hours.
- IMD says Ockhi would stay as a severe cyclonic storm out in the east-central Arabian Sea till early morning on Sunday
- Sea conditions would be very rough to high over and around Lakshadweep Islands during next 12 hours and high to very high during subsequent 48 hours
Cyclone Ockhi to intensify over Lakshadweep in next 10 hours
According to an update by Indian Meteoroogical Department, Cyclone Ockhi is headed towards Lakshadweep. Deep Depression at 170 km southeast of Kanyakumari was recorderded. The cyclone will further move WNW and intensify into a Cyclonic storm in the next 12 hours
WatherUpdate: Kanyakumari
Strong winds and heavy rainfalls lash coastal Tamil Nadu district of Kanyakumari.
Travel advisory to those travelling to South Kerala and Tamil Nadu
Tourists are advised to exercise caution in the coastal southern Indian belt. According to latest weather reports although the cyclone is moving off Thiruvananthapuram, people are advised to avoid travelling to Kanyakumari, and Kerala’s coastal districts like Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam etc.
Cyclone Ockhi travel advisory: Avoid southern Kerala and Tamil Nadu
Ten days weather forecast acros southern India
Cyclone Ockhi causes rainfall in Bengaluru
After remaining dry for over two weeks, Bengaluru experienced showers and thunderstorms on Thursday thanks to cyclonic storm Ockhi over Comorin area and neighbouring areas.
According to Skymet Weather, the cyclone would continue to move in west-northwest direction towards Lakshadweep Islands. Weather conditions remains conducive for the further strengthening of the system into a severe cyclonic storm in the next 24 hours.
Two NDRF teams sent to Kanyakumari
Cyclone Ockhi might turn severe with heavy rainfall and wind over Kerala and Tamil Nadu in next 24 hours: Met Bulletin at 2:30 pm
The MET department’s bulletin predicted that possible Cyclone Ockhi might turn severe for Kerala and Tamil Nadu in the next 24 hours.
Potential Cyclone Ockhi moving in west-northwest direction towards Southeast Arabian Sea
Weather monitoring agency Skymet on Thursday reported that Cyclone Ockhi is moving in west-northwest direction towards Southeast Arabian Sea. The intensity of #rain will be extremely heavy over #Kerala, South #TamilNadu.
Heavy to very heavy rainfall over south Tamil Nadu, south Kerala over the next 24 hours
Weather monitoring agency Skymet said it expects rainfall at most places. Heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely at isolated places over south Tamil Nadu, south Kerala over the next 24 hours.
Isolated heavy rain is expected over interior Tamil Nadu and Kerala during subsequent 24 hours.
Storm could re-curve towards Mumbai-Gujarat region: US Navy’s Joint Typhoon Warning Centre
Earlier, the US Navy’s Joint Typhoon Warning Centre had put out an alert saying that the system could intensify further to become a severe cyclonic storm, reports said.
It also said that the storm could re-curve towards the Mumbai-Gujarat region on the West Coast, after being influenced by an incoming western disturbance from the opposite direction.
Check out the progress of the Cyclone Ockhi
Watch: Weather forecast for Tamil Nadu and Lakshadweep by Skymet
Cyclone Ockhi forms, severe cyclonic storm likely in 24 hours
Skymet tweets
In a span of 24 hours, Kanyakumari recorded 63 mm rain: Skymet