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Cyclone Fengal weakened on Sunday after making landfall near Puducherry, but it still caused heavy rain, leading to the highest rainfall in the region in 30 years. 

This prompted the deployment of the Army and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to evacuate people trapped in flooded areas. 

Schools and colleges in Puducherry were closed on December 2 due to ongoing heavy rain, and other districts in Tamil Nadu, like Villupuram, Cuddalore, Vellore, and Ranipet, also faced closures due to expected rainfall.

 

Here are ten key updates on Cyclone Fengal:

1. Cyclone Fengal made landfall on November 30 in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. It has weakened and is now moving toward the west and northwest, causing heavy rain in coastal areas and Andhra Pradesh's Rayalaseema region.
   
   
2. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the cyclone will weaken into a low-pressure area over north interior Tamil Nadu by Monday morning, and it will likely move toward the Arabian Sea off the Kerala-Karnataka coasts by December 3.
   
   
3. IMD has issued an orange alert for Bengaluru and nearby areas until December 3, warning of rough weather and continued light to moderate rainfall until December 5.
   
   
4. The University of Madras postponed exams scheduled for December 2 due to the storm, with revised dates to be announced later.
   
   
5. The NDRF has been rescuing people from flood-affected areas using boats, and the Indian Army has helped rescue nearly 100 people in just two hours.
   
   
6. Tamil Nadu's Chief Minister, Stalin, reported that nearly 27,000 people received food packets from Amma canteens since the cyclone hit, and 21 out of 23 subways in Chennai were cleared of waterlogging.
   
   
7. EMU train services and flights were disrupted due to strong winds and heavy rain, with many passengers stranded at airports for hours.
   
   
8. In Kanchipuram, 10 out of 381 lakes, and in Chengalpattu, 103 out of 528 lakes reached capacity, causing some dams to overflow due to the heavy rainfall.
   
   
9. The cyclone, which also affected Sri Lanka, has caused 19 deaths across both countries, according to agencies.
   
   
10. In Tamil Nadu, the death toll from the cyclone is reported to be four, with three people electrocuted in Chennai. The state's disaster management minister said the damage was minimal, with flooding and fallen trees but not as severe as expected.
    
    Puducherry recorded 48.6 cm of rainfall in 24 hours, one of the highest in recent history. The heavy downpour overwhelmed drainage systems, leading to flooding, submerged electrical stations, and power outages.