Cyclone Nivar to start landfall process close to Puducherry

Chennai, Nov 25 : The very severe cyclonic storm Nivar was expected to begin landfall close to Puducherry coast late on Wednesday night, the India Meteorological Department said.
In its bulletin issued at 9.30 p.m., the IMD said the cyclone Nivar is to cross the coast close to Puducherry around midnight with a wind speed of 120-130 kmph gusting at 145 kmph.
According to the weather department, the landfall process was expected to begin in an hour’s time.
The cyclone was centered 60 km east of Cuddalore, 55 km southeast of Puducherry and 130 km southeast of Chennai.
The cyclone, moving at a speed of 16 kmph for the past six hours, is being monitored by the Doppler Weather Radars at Chennai, Karaikal and Sriharikota.
Even after landfall, the system is likely to maintain its cyclone intensity for about six hours and then weaken gradually.