1 killed as cyclone Jal hits Tamil Nadu coast

One person was killed, many trees uprooted, five cars damaged and normal life badly affected in the coastal areas of Tamil Nadu and neighbouring Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh as cyclonic storm Jal moved closer to the coast.

“The storm lay 300 km south east of Chennai and is likely to cross the coast between Pondicherry and Nellore by Sunday night or onday morning,” Met office sources said.

Most regions of Tamil Nadu received heavy to very heavy rainfall since Saturday night accompanied by squally winds. Wind with speeds up to 60 to 70 kmph upset normal life with trees being uprooted in many areas of the state.

A 50-year-old man died in Chennai’s Nageshwara Rao Park in Mylapore on Sunday morning as he got trapped under the branches of an uprooting tree.

Five cars were damaged in Kottupuram area of Chennai as trees came crashing down on them due to gusty winds. With the Met office predicting heavy rains in some parts of the state for the next 24 hours, most roads were deserted.

With power lines snapping up in a few areas, electricity too was affected. Road, rail and air traffic was hit with 19 flights being delayed.