As cyclone Michaung approaches the coastline, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red warning for parts of Tamil Nadu. A red warning is a directive to local authorities to take immediate action. A red warning has been issued for Chennai, Kanchipuram, Chengalpattu and Thiruvallur districts on December 3 and December 4. The Met Department has further said that these districts are likely to receive heavy to extremely heavy rainfall. Further, the Tamil Nadu government has announced a public holiday on December 4 in Chennai, Thiruvallur, Kanchipuram and Chengalpattu districts. 

The Tamil Nadu government has also said that 930 fishing boats that had headed into the Bay of Bengal have returned to land. 4, 967 relief camps and 121 multipurpose centres have been set up, the government has further said. In a statement released on Saturday, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin said, “As heavy rains have been predicted, all MLAs, MPs, local body representatives and the district secretaries of the DMK must help the public in their localities with any emergencies.” 

The following helplines have also been set up

Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Authority (TNSDMA): 1070

District helpline: 1077

WhatsApp: 9445869848

Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC): 1913

In the last 24 hours, Thiruvallur district received the highest amount of rainfall with 64.4mm and Chennai received only a little less with 60.9mm. On December 3, the deep depression over the Bay of Bengal intensified into a cyclonic storm and was named Michaung (pronounced ‘Migjaum’), the Indian Meteorological Department has said. Michaung is expected to pass by the north Tamil Nadu and south Andhra Pradesh coasts on December 4 and make landfall in Andhra, between Nellore and Machillipattinam, on December 5.

Read: Cyclone Michaung heads towards TN and AP, orange warning for coasts