Automaker Ford India has announced that it will halt operations at its Chennai plant after Cyclone Vardah is expected to cause serious flooding. "With heavy rain from Cyclone Vardah expected to cause flooding, we have decided to halt operations at Chennai plant and offices of Global Business Services on December 12, 2016, to ensure the safety of our employees. We are carefully monitoring the weather condition and will return to normal operations as soon as conditions improve," Ford India told DNA.

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Earlier in the day, IT majors Infosys and Tata Consultancy Services shut their operations in Tamil Nadu.  

Two persons were killed while thousands were evacuated as the heavy rains, accompanied by high velocity winds hit the city and coastal districts of north Tamil Nadu. According to M Mohapatra, Additional Director General (Services) of IMD, the "eye" of the Cyclone is 20 kms off Chennai. Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu directed the Nellore district administration to evacuate people in about 255 low-lying areas to safer places. "It is very likely to cross north Tamil Nadu and south Andhra Pradesh coasts, close to Chennai as a cyclonic storm with a wind speed of 80 to 90 kmph gusting to 100 kmph by 12th December 2016 afternoon," officials said.

Eight fishermen belonging to Tamil Nadu were rescued from the sea near the Sriharikota High Altitude Range while search is still on for ten more persons. Over 15 teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed in various coastal regions of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. The armed forces have been asked to be on standby with the army, navy and air force prepared to be deployed anytime as and when required.

Chennai, which is also home to other major carmakers like Renault-Nissan, Hyundai, Royal Enfield, Daimler, TVS and Ashok Leyland, is likely to see their operations go on halt in the coming days.