Saturday, December 10 2005 10:24 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Chennai: The cyclonic storm 'Fanoos' is expected to cross the coast between Pondicherry and Thondi in Tamil Nadu by noon today (Dec 10,2005), weather office said here.

The storm over southwest Bay of Bengal now lay centered about 200 kms east of Nagapattinam and it was likely to move in a west-north-westerly direction crossing between Pondicherry and Tamil Nadu's Thondi.

Consequent to the system, some parts of north coastal Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry have been experiencing rains since last night with strong winds, but the metropolis itself had been experiencing continuous drizzle.

The weather office said due to Fanoos, gale with a wind speed of 70 to 80 kms per hour is likely in Villupuram, Cuddalore, Tiruvarur, Tanjavur and Nagapattinam districts.

Squally weather with wind speed reaching between 50 to 60 kms per hour is likely off south coastal Tamil Nadu and in Chennai, Tiurvallur and Kanchipuram districts.

All precautions have been taken in view of the impending cyclone, including shifting of people to safer places, official sources said.

More than one lakh people, including fishermen, were evacuated from the coastal hamlets of Cuddalore district in view of the threat of the storm. A red alert had been sounded at all the 51 coastal hamlets situated along the 57-km-long coastline in the district besides forming 15 medical teams, the sources added.