In Pics: Cyclone Nivar to hit Tamil Nadu soon, memories of cyclones Vardah and Gaja linger

Cyclone Vardah made landfall north of Chennai on December 12, 2016, lashing the capital city of Tamil Nadu with winds blowing at 140 km/hour. This very severe cyclonic storm lead to 24 deaths and a loss of Rs 22,573 crores in damage in the state.

This powerful cyclone had lead to suspension of all 170 outstation trains from Chennai and brought local transportation to a halt as well. In the Kancheepuram district, carcasses of around 550 cows were found in a lake post-Vardah. It uprooted many trees and caused a lot of damage to public infrastructure including roads and power supplies.

Gaja was a powerful cyclonic storm that struck Tamil Nadu and Puducherry before moving on to the Arabian Sea in 2018. It claimed 45 lives in the state and almost 2,50,000 people had to be evacuated. It created a huge loss of life and property in Thanjavur, Dindigul, and Tiruvarur, among others.

Nivar will be the second cyclone in two years after cyclone Gaja to cross Tamil Nadu. As of the morning on November 24, the cyclone was located 450 km southeast of Chennai. It will gain strength and get into the category of a severe cyclone by November 25. As per IMD, its projected track means that it will cross between Puducherry and Karaikal as a severe cyclonic storm. (Source: IMD)

The IMD has placed Tamil Nadu under a 'red' alert (take action). Extremely heavy rain between 20 cm and 24 cm is forecast in various districts of the state on November 25. Strong winds between 100 and 120 km/hour are expected over north Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. It all may lead to flooding of low-lying areas and uprooting of trees apart from damage to power lines and crops.