Thousands of people were evacuated from their homes in southeast India on Wednesday as a cyclone slammed into the coast, with officials warning of possible flooding and damage to houses.
Cyclone Nilam struck the historic port of Mahabalipuram, 50 kilometres south of Chennai, and is forecast to cross the states of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh overnight.
“More than 5,000 evacuations have been completed,” Jayraman, a disaster management official in Chennai who only uses one name, told reporters.
“We have evacuated thousands of people from Mahabalipuram and nearby coastal districts. We are monitoring the situation in Chennai but have not ordered any evacuations there.”
The latest bulletin from the India Meteorological Department predicted that winds gusting up to 100 kilometres an hour would trigger flooding of low-lying areas due to a sea surge and heavy rain.
It said the cyclone would likely cause extensive damage to thatched roofs and huts and also uproot large trees, leading to power blackouts and communication problems.
Residents living in huts along the coast were advised to move to safer areas and fishermen were ordered not to go out to sea.