Cyclone Mandous To Intensify Into Severe Cyclonic Storm For Next 6 Hours: IMD

Chennai: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) in its latest weather bulletin said that cyclone Mandous lay over the southwest Bay of Bengal about 270km ESE of Karaikal.

cyclone Mandous is likely to maintain its intensity of severe cyclonic storm during next six hours and then weaken gradually into a cyclonic storm thereafter.

It would continue to move west-northwestwards and cross north Tamilnadu, Puducherry and adjoining south Andhra Pradesh coasts between Puducherry and Sriharikota around Mahabalipuram as a cyclonic storm with a maximum sustained wind speed of 65-75 kmph gusting to 85 kmph during midnight of today, the December 9 to early hours of December 10.

An orange alert has been issued for the north Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and south Andhra Pradesh coasts.

NDRF teams have been put on alert. Education minister A Namassivayam has ordered closing of schools and colleges on Friday in Puducherry and Karaikal in view of cyclone Mandous.