Date:   28 oct 2005

A cyclonic storm is expected to hit between Nellore and Machilipatanam in Andhra Pradesh.

Up to 3,000 people have been evacuated from Prakasham district on the southern coast.

Heavy rainfall in the area has left people stranded for more the 20 hours and trains heading towards southern areas have been halted.

Chennai improves
The weather in Chennai in Tamil Nadu where a storm alert was issued on Thursday has started to improve.

Train services have been partially restored after heavy showers yesterday submerged tracks and caused widespread disruption.

But schools and colleges will remain closed for a second day today.

Authorities shutdown power supply to many parts of the city after four people died from electrocution. Telephone lines are also down in many areas.

Flights on schedule
At the airport in Chennai visibility has become normal and all flights are operating on schedule, the Airports Authority of India's General Manager for operations, S Subramaniam said.

Yesterday six international flights were diverted to Bangalore, Thiruvananthapuram and Colombo.

Parts of neighbouring Karnataka state is also hit by heavy showers.

Since the beginning of October, rain-related accidents have killed at least 60 people in Tamil Nadu. The downpours left seven people dead in Bangalore.

Army help
The Tamil Nadu government has asked for the army's help in restoring services in Chennai.

In just a five-hour spell of heavy rainfall on Thursday, Chennai received 21 cm of rainfall, which flooded railway tracks, roads and subways, uprooted trees, and disrupted the power supply.

Northern parts of Chennai suffered the most where rising water levels prompted evacuation of 4,000 people, some of them were carried out at midnight.

In the south of the city one person died when a tree fell on him.

Authorities distributed one lakh food packets to the affected people and medical teams fanned out to prevent an outbreak of infectious diseases.

The rain also disrupted milk supply.

Tamil Nadu's Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa was out on the city's inundated roads, leading the government's relief and rescue efforts.

"As soon as this flood situation developed, the administration swung into top gear. 50,000 people have been evacuated and they have been housed in various relief centres set up by the Corporation, mostly school buildings and are being fed," the Chief Minister said.

Authorities also declared a holiday for schools and colleges in Tiruvallur and Kanchipuram districts.

Damage to crops
Away from the city, the rains may have left even more lasting damage.

In the district of Trichy, nearly 9,700 hectares of crop lay destroyed along the banks of the Cauvery. The floods follow years of drought.

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