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Heavy rains and powerful winds continue to batter India’s southern and eastern coastlines as Cyclone Michuang intensifies, prompting extreme weather alerts in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Odisha states. The Indian Meteorological Department had warned of sustained winds up to 100 km/h, with potential landfall close to Bapatla, in Andhra Pradesh. Schools remain closed and evacuations are underway, with the city of Chennai being the first to suffer from extreme flooding, which is likely to inundate southeastern Indian states. The National Disaster Response Force is engaged in rescue operations, and relief camps have been set up in coastal areas. Videos from Chennai depict a city largely underwater. Entire blocks have been turned into rampaging rivers, cars have been picked up and washed away, and trees were uprooted by strong winds. The city’s main airport and train stations have been forced to close, now under several centimeters of water. The public has been urged to stay indoors until the weather has calmed.
