Severe Cyclonic Storm 'Mandous' to weaken, to cross coast near Mahabalipuram; schools and colleges shut in 15 distts

Chennai: The cyclone is expected to bring heavy rainfall to the coastal shores of the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu and neighboring areas. India's Meteorological Department has warned communities about rough sea conditions.

Cyclone Mandous is expected to bring heavy rainfall to the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu and neighboring areas Friday night.

The cyclone brought high winds, dust and rain as it passed Sri Lanka's coast early Friday morning.

Public schools remain closed in Sri Lanka, with rain in the commercial capital Colombo.
Dust and reduced air quality prompted authorities to advise children and the elderly to remain indoors in the country.

Southern India braces for heavy rainfall

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said the storm was very likely to move nearly northwestwards and cross the northern coasts of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Andhra Pradesh Friday night.

Authorities deployed nearly 400 disaster relief personnel in Tamil Nadu state, with the IMD warning that mud houses, power and communication lines along the coastal areas were also likely going to be affected.

People were urged to stock up on essentials and be prepared to move to shelters.

Low lying coastal areas at risk

The IMD said the cyclone would carry a maximum "sustained wind speed of 65-75 kilometers per hour (40-46 miles per hour) gusting to 85 kilometers per hour during midnight of today" until the "early hours of tomorrow," Saturday.

The Meteorological Department added that Mandous weakened from an earlier severe category, but warned a storm surge of roughly half a meter (20 inches) above the high tide was likely to inundate low-lying coastal areas of northern Tamil Nadu and neigboring Puducherry.

Authorities also warned of rough sea conditions along the shores, issuing an advisory for fishing communities.

Sri Lanka's National Building Research Organization said that air quality had dipped Friday but would improve as the storm moved away from the Sri Lankan coast.

(Reuters material contributed to this report.)