Cyclone Michaung hits India’s south after 9 killed earlier in floods, rain By Reuters

By Jatindra

BHUBANESWAR, India (Reuters) -Cyclone Michaung barrelled into the southern Indian coast on Tuesday with winds of as much as 110 kph (70 mph), its arrival preceded by intense rain and flooding that killed 9 individuals, as officers assessed the harm by the storm.

The Indian climate workplace stated Michaung, which had weakened to ‘cyclonic storm depth’ by late Tuesday, implying wind speeds of 65-75 kph, was more likely to preserve this power over the subsequent 6 hours.

As much as 200 mm (8 inches) of rain is anticipated in Andhra Pradesh state, the place it made landfall, over the subsequent 24 hours.

Torrential rains despatched tall waves crashing into coastal cities of southern states during the last two days because the cyclone approached, submerging roads and spurring the cancellation of practice companies and flights. The 9 killed included a 4-year-old boy who died after a wall collapsed.

The cyclone made landfall close to the city of Bapatla in Andhra Pradesh state, the India Meteorological Division stated, including late on Tuesday on the X platform that the landfall course of was accomplished.

Officers from Andhra Pradesh stated no casualties had been reported on Tuesday. Greater than 140 trains and 40 flights had been cancelled within the state, and at the least 8,000 individuals had been evacuated, they stated.

“The harm reviews are but to return as a result of some low-lying areas have stagnant water. There have been street blockages and timber had been uprooted,” a senior state catastrophe division officer, who didn’t wish to be named, informed Reuters.

In Tamil Nadu’s capital metropolis Chennai, a significant electronics and manufacturing hub, residents had been seen wading via waist-deep floodwaters, which additionally swept away vehicles.

For Chennai residents, the floods triggered reminiscences of comparable rains eight years in the past which killed 290 individuals, with some activists questioning whether or not the town’s infrastructure might deal with excessive climate occasions.

Referring to the town’s makes an attempt to enhance stormwater drainage techniques over the previous yr, Raj Bhagat P, a civil engineer and geo-analytics professional informed Reuters: “Their options would have helped lots in reasonable and heavy rainfall, however not in very heavy and very heavy rains.”

Town’s airport – one of many busiest within the nation – was closed on Monday after a runway was submerged and reopening at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, a spokesperson for the federal civil aviation ministry stated.

Taiwan’s Foxconn and Pegatron halted Apple (NASDAQ:) iPhone manufacturing at their amenities close to Chennai as a result of heavy rains, sources aware of the matter stated on Monday.