Cyclone Fengal remains stationary near Pondy, to weaken in next 3 hrs

Chennai: Cyclone Fengal, which made landfall near Puducherry on November 30, remained stationary near the union territory and would gradually weaken in the next three hours, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Sunday.

Meanwhile, operations at the Chennai airport, which had been suspended on Sunday, resumed past midnight but many flights suffered cancellations and delays, officials said.

Under the impact of the cyclone, Puducherry recorded its highest rainfall of 46 cm, IMD-Regional Meteorological Centre, Additional Director General, S Balachandran, said in an update at 7.30 am on Sunday.

He said Cyclone Fengal started making landfall near Puducherry around 5.30 pm on Saturday and completed the process "between 10.30 pm and 11.30 pm." It now lay close to Puducherry.

"It is likely to move westwards slowly and weaken gradually into a deep depression over north coastal Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry (Puducherry)," he said.

While Mailam in Tamil Nadu's Villupuram district recorded 50 cm rainfall during the period 8.30 am November 30 and 5.30 am Sunday, Puducherry recorded 46 cm.

This was the highest rainfall received by Puducherry. The UT had received 21 cm rainfall on October 31, 2004, he said.

Operations at the Chennai airport resumed past midnight on Saturday but there were cancellations and delays. As many as 24 domestic services were cancelled and 26 international flights, both arriving and departing were delayed, officials said.