Cyclone Nivar makes landfall, heavy rain lashes Chennai, Puducherry

Nivar now lies about 50 km east-southeast of Cuddalore, about 40 km east southeast of Puducherry.

The coastal states have been bracing for the "very severe cyclonic storm" as more than a lakh people have been evacuated from low-lying areas.

Nivar has brought with it heavy rain and strong winds, which forced authorities to declare a public holiday till Thursday.

Authorities declared to close the Chennai airport and metro services on Wednesday.

According to the Met department, the cyclone will bring extremely heavy rainfall and winds between 120 and 130 km per hour, with gusts of up to 145 km per hour.

Bus services in seven Tamil Nadu districts have been suspended.

The state government has said that those involved in essential services will continue to work.

Chief Minister E. Palaniswami has appealed to people to stay indoors as far as possible.

He informed that over 4,000 "vulnerable" locations had been identified and local officials have directed to ensure peoples' safety.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has been pressed into action with personnel been deployed in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.

Cyclone Nivar is likely to cause heavy damages to houses, uproot power lines and trees and destroy crops along the southeast coast.