CHENNAI — Heavy rains and strong winds from a severe cyclonic storm have been battering India’s southern coast with reports that several people have died.
Thousands of people living in low lying areas have been evacuated in the states of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.
Many residential areas of the city of Chennai have been flooded, with cars swept away and trees uprooted.
Chennai airport, one of the busiest in India, shut down its operations on Monday.
Police in Chennai said that six people had been killed — the causes of death included falling structures and electrocution.
Two people were killed when the rain caused a wall to collapse in the city Chengalpattu, the Reuters news agency reported.
Cyclone Michaung — with wind speeds of up to 110km/h (68mph) — is expected to make landfall on Tuesday morning in Andhra Pradesh between Nellore and Machilipatnam,
Meteorological officials have issued a red alert to parts of the states of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh and schools.
Colleges and banks have shut on Monday and will remain closed on Tuesday in at least four districts.
In and around Chennai — a major electronics and manufacturing hub — factories closed, including iPhone production facilities, Reuters reported.
Very heavy rainfall has hit north Tamil Nadu, Rayalaseema and Andhra Pradesh over the last 24 hours, and rain and wind warnings are in place for part of those three states as well as Telangana and Odisha.
India’s meteorological department has also issued a warning that people needed to stay indoors in southern Andhra Pradesh and northern Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
It has also said serious damage was expected to housing in the area and warned fishermen not to go out to sea in a number of coastal areas.
A wind warning has also been issued for parts of the Bay of Bengal.
Parts of Andhra Pradesh are likely to get more than 20 centimeters (eights inches) of rain over the next 24 hours.
Some places in Chennai have recorded up to 25cm of rain in the last 24 hours, with Perungudi recording the heaviest rainfall of 29cm.
Almost 7,000 people have been evacuated from the state’s coastal districts and an additional 21,000 might be evacuated depending on the path and severity of the cyclone, according to Reuters.
A warning for dense fog has also been issued for Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, West Uttar Pradesh and East Rajasthan.
The worst of the weather is expected to be over by Wednesday morning. — BBC