Very severe cyclonic storm Nivar to cross TN/P’cherry coast midnight (Ld)

Chennai, Nov 25 : Severe cyclonic storm Nivar is expected to cross Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts around midnight or early hours of Thursday as a very severe cyclonic storm, India Meteorological Department said on Wednesday.
Chennai and its suburbs have been experiencing rains intermittently since Tuesday night resulting in water logged roads, apartments and individual houses.
The government has declared a public holiday on Wednesday in a bid to reduce the hardship to a large section of the people. The Southern Railway has cancelled suburban train services and also some long distance trains owing to Nivar.
The state owned Aavin managed to supply milk to its lakhs of customers without any problem. Petrol bunks and shops are functioning as usual.
The state government after a gap of five years has also decided to release water from the Chembarambakkam lake and flood warning has been issued to people living in the low lying areas near Adyar river.
Moving at a speed of about 7kmph over the past six hours, the severe cyclonic storm Nivar lay centred about 290km east-southeast of Cuddalore, about 300km east-southeast of Puducherry and 350km south-southeast of Chennai, the weather department said.