Cyclone Fengal Heads for Tamil Nadu, Schools Closed and Hundreds Evacuated

CHENNAI, Nov 30 — Authorities in Tamil Nadu have closed schools and evacuated hundreds of people to storm shelters ahead of Cyclone Fengal's expected landfall on Saturday. The storm, with winds of 70-80 km/h (43-50 mph), is forecast to hit the region in the afternoon.

The Indian weather bureau has advised fishermen to avoid the sea, with rising waves of up to one metre (three feet) posing a flood risk to coastal areas. As a precaution, schools and colleges across multiple districts have been shut, and 471 people have been relocated to relief camps.

Fengal, which earlier skirted Sri Lanka, claimed at least 12 lives, including six children. Cyclones are common in the northern Indian Ocean, but scientists warn that climate change is strengthening storms, with warmer ocean temperatures providing more energy for the storms and increasing rainfall.

Fortunately, improved forecasting and evacuation efforts have helped reduce fatalities in recent years.