Chennai and Tiruvallur have been placed under an orange alert for extremely heavy rainfall as a severe cyclonic storm over the west-central Bay of Bengal moves towards the Andhra Pradesh coast, according to a bulletin issued by the Chennai weather centre on November 2.
The storm was centred about 160 kilometres southeast of Nellore and 180 kilometres northeast of Chennai when the bulletin was issued. It was moving west-northwest and could cross the coast between Nellore and Narasapur from late on November 2 into the early hours of November 3, the weather centre said.
Winds of 100 to 110 kilometres per hour could accompany the system during landfall, according to the bulletin. The combination of intense rainfall and strong winds could affect travel, public services and exposed urban areas in Chennai and Tiruvallur, where the orange alert applies for November 2.
An orange alert indicates the possibility of extremely heavy rainfall and requires authorities and residents to remain prepared for significant weather impacts. In the Chennai metropolitan region, heavy rain can place pressure on roads, drainage networks and other essential urban systems, although the weather bulletin supplied for this report does not provide a forecast of specific local flooding or infrastructure damage.
The bulletin also identified districts under yellow alerts for heavy rainfall on later dates. The Nilgiris may receive heavy rain on November 3, while Dindigul and Theni may receive heavy rain on November 5. The report refers to yellow alerts covering five districts, but the supplied bulletin does not specify the remaining district names or provide further details for the dates of November 6 and 7.
The storm’s projected track places the immediate focus on coastal Andhra Pradesh, while Chennai and Tiruvallur remain within the area forecast for extremely heavy rain. The weather centre’s advisory provides the current location, movement and expected landfall window, but does not state whether schools, public transport services or government offices will be closed.
The next operational milestone is the storm’s expected coastal crossing between Nellore and Narasapur from late November 2 to early November 3. Further changes to rainfall alerts, wind conditions and district-level precautions will depend on subsequent updates from the weather authorities.
