Cyclone Fengal lives charmed life as heavily laden rain bands pulverise Puducherry 

Cyclone Fengal may have assured itself a place in history books for sheer extended life even after crossing close to Puducherry, which itself was delayed until far beyond the timeline estimated by India Meteorological Department (IMD) last (Saturday) evening even as it generates prodigious rain.

• Also read: TN, Chennai Rains, Cyclone Fengal live updates

Heavy cloud cover

Satellite pictures at 8.40 am showed heavy clouds/rain hung over Puducherry, Neyveli, Maduranthakam, Kanchipuram, Vellore, Ambur, Tiruvannamalai, Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Salem, Attur, Erode, Namakkal, Permabalur and Tiruchirappalli. Neighbouring Kerala too has issued yellow alert and moderate to heavy rain warning in some districts for next few days.

Drags landfall process

Fengal dug in its heels after dragging the landfall process beyond forecast, bringing onward movement over land to a crawl well past midnight to until as late as 2.30 am this (Sunday) morning. An IMD update at 2.30 am said the cyclone hardly blinked a bit remained practically stationary close to Puducherry as a cyclone buffeted by winds speeding to 65-75 km/hr gusting to 85 km/hr. 

Retains intensity, strength

Landfall dynamics did not appear to have affected the strength or intensity as the cyclone chose to pour down its contents in the form of heavy to very heavy to extremely heavy rain for hours together as if with a vengeance over Puducherry and neighbourhood.

Beats forecast timelines 

The elaborate landfall had officially been achieved between 10.30 pm and 11.30 pm last night. This itself happened much delayed after the forward sector of spiral bands associated with the cyclone started striking the Puducherry coast from evening, as IMD indicated in an update as 7 pm on Saturday. 

Doesn’t blink an eye

Advance projections had expected Fengal to cross the coast by Saturday evening and weaken a round as a deep depression by 5.30 pm. The cyclone appeared to have beat this forecast by a huge margin, forcing the IMD to recalibrate its charts, confirming the position at 2.30 am on Sunday morning (and announced at 6.30 am on Sunday) that was expected to weaken a round by 5.30 am. 

Puducherry pummelled

The IMD is yet to confirm if this has materialised, with the cyclone still raging over land and Puducherry being pummelled by extremely heavy rain. Unofficial estimates out the rainfall amounts at a staggering 45 cm till the early hours on Sunday, and may breach an unprecedented 50 cm-mark anytime.