BENGALURU: Cyclone Fengal made landfall in India's south on late Saturday as heavy rains lashed the region and an airport shut operations.
Cyclones — the equivalent of hurricanes in the North Atlantic or typhoons in the northwestern Pacific — are a regular and deadly menace in the northern Indian Ocean.
India's weather bureau said "the forward sector of spiral bands associated with the cyclone has entered into the land" with a forecast of sustained winds of 70-80 kilometres an hour (43-50 miles per hour).
Authorities also said there was a "moderate to high flash flood risk" over a few areas.
Several areas in the state of Tamil Nadu were flooded while authorities extended closure of the main airport in capital city Chennai till Sunday.
"Due to stormy winds, the road is heavily covered with sand and motorists are advised to proceed with caution," traffic police in Chennai posted on social media platform X.
Schools and colleges in numerous districts in the state were shut and at least 471 people had been moved to relief camps, local media reported.
Fengal skirted the coast of Sri Lanka earlier this week, killing at least 12 people including six children.
Scientists have warned that storms are becoming more powerful as the world heats up due to climate change driven by burning fossil fuels.
Warmer ocean surfaces release more water vapour, which provides additional energy for storms, strengthening winds.
A warming atmosphere also allows them to hold more water, boosting heavy rainfall.
But better forecasting and more effective evacuation planning have dramatically reduced death tolls.
Weighing 8 grams and roughly size of a euro, coin is described as "a piece of history"
INS Tushil carries "impressive blend of Russian and Indian cutting edge technologies", says defence ministry
"We will need to make sure that those who are responsible for these violations" be held accountable, says Volker Turk
Hundreds of hoax bomb threats to Indian schools, airports, and railways have been made this year
"Legally, currently lies with commander in chief," says defence ministry spox
EU scientists say extraordinarily high temperatures are expected to persist into first few months of 2025