The Southern Railway has cancelled as many as 40 train services to and from Kerala, including Sabarimala special trains, in view of the cyclone ‘Michaung’ which is likely to cross the south Andhra Pradesh coast by Tuesday. Trains originating from different points between December 2 and 7 have been cancelled.
The cancelled trains include Narasapur–Kottayam Special; Secunderabad Junction–Kollam Junction Special; Gorakhpur Junction–Kochuveli Rapti Sagar SF Express; Thiruvananthapuram Central–New Delhi Kerala SF Express; Nagercoil Junction–Shalimar Gurudev SF Express; Dhanbad Junction–Alappuzha Express; Secunderabad Junction–Thiruvananthapuram Central Sabari Express; Tatanagar Junction–Ernakulam Junction Biweekly Express; Dibrugarh–Kanyakumari Vivek Express; Tirunelveli Junction–Bilaspur Junction Weekly Express (via Thiruvananthapuram-Alappuzha-Ernakulam); Ernakulam Junction–Patna Junction Biweekly Express; Patna Junction–Ernakulam Junction Biweekly Express; Kochuveli–Korba Biweekly Express; Ernakulam Junction–Patna Junction Weekly Express; Bilaspur Junction–Ernakulam Junction Weekly Express; and Hatia–Ernakulam Junction Dharti Aaba SF Weekly Express.
Meanwhile, the deep depression over the southwest Bay of Bengal intensified into a cyclonic storm on Sunday. It is likely to continue to move northwestwards, intensify further, and reach westcentral Bay of Bengal off south Andhra Pradesh and adjoining north Tamil Nadu coasts by Monday forenoon. Thereafter, it would move nearly northward, almost parallel and close to the south Andhra Pradesh coast, and cross the south Andhra Pradesh coast between Nellore and Machilipatnam during forenoon of Tuesday as a severe cyclonic storm with a maximum sustained wind speed of 90-100 kmph, gusting to 110 kmph.
Advisory to fishers
Under the influence of the tropical storm, parts of the State are likely to witness thunderstorm accompanied by lightning on Monday. Fishermen are advised not to venture into the southwest Bay of Bengal and along and off the North Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts until Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Alappuzha received the highest rainfall of 9 cm during the last 24 hours ending at 8.30 a.m. on Sunday, followed by Aryankavu in Kollam, Kanjirappally in Kottayam, and Pampadumpara in Idukki with 5 cm each.
