Chennai: The deep depression over the Southwest Bay of Bengal intensified into a cyclonic storm on Friday afternoon, the India Meteorological Department said on Friday. A rain holiday has been declared for schools and colleges in Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, and Chengalpattu on November 30.

District Collector Kalaiselvi Mohan has announced a holiday for schools and colleges including private educational institutions in Kanchipuram district, on November 30, due to heavy rainfall warning, informed Kanchipuram District Collectorate on Friday. 

The cyclonic storm, named 'Fengal' and pronounced as 'Feinjal' is likely to make a landfall on November 30 afternoon close to Puducherry with a wind speed, gusting upto 90 kmph.

Minister for Revenue and Disaster Management KKSSR Ramachandran held a meet at the state emergency operations centre here with senior officials to review preparatory and relief measures.

For November 30, the IMD has forecast isolated heavy to very heavy rain with extremely heavy rain at one or two places in Chennai, Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Villuppuram, Kallakurichi, Cuddalore districts and Puducherry. Also, heavy to very heavy rain is likely to occur at isolated places over Ranipet, Tiruvannamalai, Vellore, Perambalur, Ariyalur, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam districts and Karaikal area.

An IMD-Regional Meteorological Centre's bulletin issued here said: "Morning's deep depression over Southwest Bay of Bengal moved north-northwestwards, intensified into cyclonic storm Fengal (pronounced as Fenjal) and lay centred at 1430 hours IST of today, the 29th November 2024...260 km east of Nagapattinam, 270 km east-southeast of Puducherry and 300 km southeast of Chennai."

Further, it said: "It is likely to move west-northwestwards and cross north Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts between Karaikal and Mahabalipuram close to Puducherry as a cyclonic storm with a wind speed of 70-80 kmph gusting to 90 kmph during the afternoon 30th November."