The cyclonic storm has progressed towards Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts and is making landfall near Puducherry, an IMD official said. A red alert has been issued for 10 districts of Tamil Nadu.

Chennai airport announced suspension of operations till 4 am on December 1 following heavy inundation of runways and the taxiway

Northern Tamil Nadu and Puducherry continue to experience a flood-like situation, with gusty winds and heavy rainfall.

Scenes of confusion unfolded at the airport as passengers faced lengthy delays, with many waiting for up to 12 hours before the situation stabilised.

Cyclone Fengal, which made landfall near Puducherry on November 30, remained stationary near the union territory and would gradually weaken in the next three hours, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Sunday.

Cyclone Fengal made landfall on Saturday night between 10:30 pm and 11:30 pm IST, near Puducherry, with wind speeds of 70-80 km/h, gusting up to 90 km/h.

Cyclonic storm Fengal has commenced making landfall close to Puducherry and it may approximately take 4 hours for it to cross the coast completely, an India Meteorological Department (IMD) official said.

According to IMD, Cyclone Fengal, which had been stationary over north coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, was classified as a cyclonic storm with wind speeds of 65-70 km/hr

The airport was earlier closed from noon to 7pm on Saturday as airlines cited difficulties in landing and taking off due to heavy crosswinds.

The cyclone is expected to bring severe weather conditions, including heavy rainfall, strong winds, and disruptions across Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

Cyclone Fengal is expected to make landfall on the coast of Tamil Nadu today evening and the India Meteorological Department has issued a red alert for various parts of the southern states in view of incessant rainfall.