Chennai: The Andaman and Nicobar Islands witnessed heavy rain amid alert over Cyclone Asani with rescue teams deployed.
This is the first cyclone this year that has put rescue teams on alert. However, no landfall point is mentioned. Strong winds with speed reaching 55-65 km per hour are likely to cause damage and disruption apart from rain.
Warning has been sounded at Chennai and a few other ports of Tamilnadu as well. Fishermen have been asked to stay out of sea.
Five flights bound for Andamans from Chennai airport have been cancelled in view of poor passenger patronage following the cyclone threat.
Sources said as the Cyclonic storm is expected to hit the islands today, all tourist spots in Andamans were closed till Tuesday and the tourists were advised to postpone their visits.
As several passengers have cancelled their bookings due to cyclone,
the airport authorities today announced the cancellation of five flights to Port Blair.
A few others, who had booked their tickets, were accommodated in four other flights that left for Port Blair.
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands administration has made plans to evacuate residents from low-lying areas and the Army has also put its ships and relief teams on standby as the archipelago experienced heavy rain and strong winds due to Cyclone Asani.
Ships, aircraft, helicopters, diving and disaster relief teams are on standby. Coast Guard ships have been shepherding the fishermen out at sea back to harbour.
As 2022’s first cyclonic storm neared the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, people living in coastal areas were evacuated to safety on Sunday. Strong winds and heavy rain lashed the archipelago today as National Disaster Response Force personnel were deployed in various parts of the Union Territory. According to the Indian Meteorological Department, Cyclone Asani is likely to intensify into a deep depression.
‘We have not mentioned or predicted any landfall point. It will move along and off Andaman and Nicobar Islands and then over the east-central Bay of Bengal and along and off the Myanmar coast and gradually reduce and becoming squally winds speed reaching 55-65 kmph gusting to 75 kmph over the same region from Tuesday evening. When moving along and off Andaman and Nicobar it is likely to bring extremely heavy rains and strong winds to the region,’ a senior IMD scientist said.