IndiGo Airlines has issued a travel advisory warning of continued disruptions to flights to and from Chennai, Tuticorin, and Madurai, which are still being affected by severe weather conditions. The airline also expressed hope for a swift resolution to the ongoing issues and thanked passengers for their patience and understanding.
In a statement on X, IndiGo said: “#6ETravelAdvisory: Due to adverse weather conditions, flights to/from #Chennai, #Tuticorin, and #Madurai continue to be impacted, while #Tiruchirappalli and #Salem might now also be affected.”
Cyclone brewing in Bay of Bengal
The disruptions come as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) reports that a deep depression over the southwest Bay of Bengal has been moving northwards at 10 km/h. As of 11:30 PM IST on Tuesday, the depression was located near 7.5°N latitude and 82.6°E longitude, about 190 km southeast of Trincomalee, Sri Lanka, and 470 km southeast of Nagapattinam. The system is expected to intensify into a cyclonic storm on Wednesday as it continues moving north-northwest towards the Tamil Nadu coast.
The IMD confirmed that the depression had intensified into a deep depression on Tuesday and is likely to strengthen further into a cyclonic storm, affecting the Tamil Nadu coastline in the coming days. Heavy rainfall has already been reported in Chennai and its suburbs since Tuesday morning, with light to moderate rain expected to persist until Thursday, November 28.
“Yesterday’s depression will intensify into a deep depression… It is likely to further intensify into a cyclonic storm and move towards the north direction, towards the Tamil Nadu coast,” S. Balachandran, Director of the Regional Meteorological Centre, Chennai said.
IMD sounds red alert for heavy rainfall in several districts
The IMD has also issued several weather alerts for Tamil Nadu. A red alert has been issued for extremely heavy rainfall in three central districts on November 26 and two districts on November 27. Chennai has been placed under a yellow alert for heavy rainfall from November 27 to 29. Nearby districts, including Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, and Chengalpet, will be under yellow and orange alerts from November 27 to 30.
Forecasts for the coming days include light to moderate rain with thunderstorms and lightning in many parts of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal, particularly on November 27 and 28.