Chennai: The Met office has said Cyclone Nivar might cause major damage to thatched houses and huts with possibility of roof tops being blown off and unattached metal sheets could fly.
Apart from damages to power and communication lines, major damage would occur to Kutcha and some damage to pucca roads, besides flooding of escape routes, breaking of tree branches, uprooting of large avenue trees.
Severe damages would also be cause to banana and papaya trees, horticulture, crops and orchards. Major damage to coastal crops, damage to embankments/salt pans would also occur.
The Met office advised total suspension of fishing operations and Coastal hutment dwellers to be moved to safer places. People in affected areas to remain indoors.
The depression over southwest and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal will intensify into cyclonic storm ‘Nivar’ and would cross the Tamilnadu and Puducherry coasts on Wednesday, bringing in extremely heavy rainfall in the State.
A bulletin isued by the Met office on Monday said the depression over southwest and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal moved northwestwards with a speed of 25 kmph during the past six hours and lay centred over the same region about 550 km east-southeast of Puducherry and 590 km southeast of Chennai.
It is very likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm during the next 24 hours, move northwestwards and cross the Tamilnadu and Puducherry coasts between Karaikal and Mamallapuram on November 25 afternoon as a severe cyclonic storm with a wind speed of 100-110 kmph and gusting to 120 kmph.