Multiple flights to and from Chennai were disrupted on Friday as Cyclone Fengal, which is expected to make landfall in Tamil Nadu later this evening, brought severe weather conditions to the region.
Chennai airport has been temporarily shut down until 7 pm due to heavy rainfall and strong winds in the region, as Cyclone Fengal approaches landfall.
Air India provided an update on X, stating, “Flights to and from Chennai are being impacted due to adverse weather conditions and heavy rainfall.”
IndiGo issued a travel advisory, stating that flights in several cities, including Chennai, Tiruchirappalli, Tuticorin, Madurai, Tirupati, and Visakhapatnam, were being disrupted. The airline’s update noted, “Current weather conditions continue to impact flights to/from Chennai, Tiruchirappalli, Tuticorin, Madurai, with Tirupati and Visakhapatnam now also affected.”
Chennai Airport’s official X handle announced that IndiGo had temporarily halted all flight operations due to adverse weather conditions. The statement read, “IndiGo Airlines @IndiGo6E has temporarily suspended all arrival and departure flights at Chennai Airport due to adverse weather conditions. Operations will resume once the weather improves, prioritizing the safety of passengers and crew. We recommend passengers check with their respective airlines for real-time updates.”
The airport also reported a flight diversion due to adverse weather, stating, “IndiGo @IndiGo6E 6E1412 (A320, VT-IPT) from Abu Dhabi to Chennai, scheduled to arrive at 08:10 hrs, has been diverted to Bengaluru due to bad weather in Chennai. Passengers are advised to check with IndiGo for further updates.”
Additionally, the airport urged passengers to verify the status of flights to and from various destinations with their respective airlines, as several flights had been either cancelled or rescheduled due to the ongoing weather conditions.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) is closely tracking Cyclone Fengal using Doppler weather radars in Chennai (S Band and X Band) and Sriharikota, in addition to satellite observations.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin reviewed the state’s preparedness and precautionary measures ahead of the cyclone. In an update, he stated, “The weather department has warned of continuous rain for the next two to three days. The Tamil Nadu government is closely monitoring the situation and taking necessary precautions. The cyclone is expected to cross the coast tonight. Relief work is underway, and relief camps have been established to accommodate affected people. Other districts are also being continuously monitored, but there have been no incidents reported so far.”
The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) in Chennai has forecasted intense rainfall for the northern coastal districts of Tamil Nadu on Saturday due to the impact of Cyclone Fengal.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), “Isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall with extremely heavy rain is expected at one or two locations over Chennai, Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Villuppuram, Kallakurichi, Cuddalore districts, and Puducherry today.”
The IMD further predicted that heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely in isolated areas of Ranipet, Tiruvannamalai, Vellore, Perambalur, Ariyalur, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, and Karaikal, while heavy rain could also affect Tirupattur, Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Salem, Namakkal, Tiruchirappalli, Pudukkottai, and Karur districts.
Cyclone Fengal, which had previously moved west-northwest over the Southwest Bay of Bengal, is expected to make landfall along the north Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts later today.
