India battered by Cyclone Michaung, 8 dead, as ‘worst storm in recent memory’ to bring ‘exceptionally heavy rainfall’
- The cyclone hit the coast of Andhra Pradesh state as a ‘severe cyclonic storm’ with winds up to 100 kilometres an hour
- Cyclones are a regular and deadly menace on coasts in the northern Indian Ocean, where tens of millions of people live
Chest-high water surged down the streets of India’s southern city Chennai on Tuesday, with eight people killed in intense floods as Cyclone Michaung made landfall on the southeast coast.
The cyclone hit the coast of Andhra Pradesh state as a “severe cyclonic storm” with winds up to 100 kilometres an hour (62mph), the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
Cars were seen floating on raging torrents in Chennai, homes were flooded and a crocodile was spotted swimming the streets in the city.
We are facing the worst storm in recent memory
People in some parts of the flooded city used boats to get out of their flooded neighbourhoods to the safety of government relief shelters.
The IMD warned of “exceptionally heavy rainfall” in some areas.
“We are facing the worst storm in recent memory,” Tamil Nadu state chief minister M.K. Stalin said in a statement late on Monday.
Police said on Tuesday eight people had been killed in Chennai, the state capital of Tamil Nadu on India’s east coast.
