Cyclone Fengal: Chennai airport shut, several flights suspended before landfall
Several flights to and from Chennai were affected on Friday due to inclement weather in the region as Cyclone Fengal is expected to make landfall this evening in Tamil Nadu.
The Chennai airport has been temporarily closed until 7 pm as heavy rain, gusty winds continue in the region ahead of Cyclone Fengal landfall.
Air India shared an update on X, saying, “Flights to and from Chennai are getting affected due to inclement weather and heavy rains.”
IndiGo also released a travel advisory, noting that flights in multiple cities, including Chennai, Tiruchirappalli, Tuticorin, Madurai, Tirupati, and Visakhapatnam, were impacted. “The current weather conditions continue to impact flights to/from Chennai, Tiruchirappalli, Tuticorin, Madurai, with Tirupati and Vishakhapatnam now also affected,” read the airline’s post.
The Chennai Airport’s X handle announced that IndiGo had temporarily suspended all flight operations, citing adverse weather conditions. “IndiGo Airlines @IndiGo6E has temporarily suspended all arrival and departure flight operations at Chennai Airport due to adverse weather conditions. Flight operations will resume once the weather improves, prioritising the safety of passengers and crew. We recommend passengers check with their respective airlines for real-time updates,” the statement read.
The airport also reported a flight diversion due to bad weather, stating, “IndiGo @Indigo6E 6E1412 (A320, VT-IPT) from Abu Dhabi to Chennai, scheduled to arrive at 0810 hrs, has been diverted to Bengaluru due to bad weather at Chennai. Passengers are advised to check with IndiGo for further updates.”
In addition, the airport advised passengers to confirm the status of flights to and from various destinations with their respective airlines, noting that several flights had been cancelled or rescheduled due to ongoing weather challenges.
Parts of Tamil Nadu witness heavy rainfall
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) is closely monitoring Cyclone Fengal using Doppler weather radars in Chennai (S Band and X Band) and Sriharikota, alongside satellite observations.
Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin reviewed the state’s arrangements and precautionary measures in light of the cyclone. Sharing an update, he said, “The weather department has warned that there will be continuous rain for the next two-three days. The Tamil Nadu government is constantly monitoring and taking precautionary measures. It has been reported that the cyclone will cross the coast tonight…Relief work is going on, and relief camps have been set up to accommodate people. Other districts are also being monitored continuously. There has been no incident so far.”
The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) in Chennai predicted intense rain spells for the north coastal districts of Tamil Nadu on Saturday due to the cyclone’s impact.
“Isolated heavy to very heavy rain with extremely heavy rain is expected at one or two places over Chennai, Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Villuppuram, Kallakurichi, Cuddalore districts, and Puducherry today,” according to the IMD.
The IMD added, “Heavy to very heavy rain is likely to occur at isolated places over Ranipet, Tiruvannamalai, Vellore, Perambalur, Ariyalur, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam districts, and Karaikal area. Heavy rain is likely to occur at isolated places over Tirupattur, Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Salem, Namakkal, Tiruchirappalli, Pudukkottai, and Karur districts.”
The weather agency said that Cyclone Fengal, which had earlier moved west-northwest over the Southwest Bay of Bengal, is expected to cross the north Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts later today.