Chennai airport in India reopens after Cyclone Fengal completes landfall

The Chennai airport in South India has resumed flight operations around 4am on Sunday after Cyclone Fengal completed the landfall process on Sunday around 2am, crossing the Tamil Nadu coast between Karaikal and Mahabalipuram, the India Meteorological Department said.

However, flyers complained of delayed and cancelled flights even after the operations resumed after a brief suspension, Hindustan Times reports.

IMD also issued a red alert for several parts of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Puducherry. The region is predicted to experience weather changes, including high tides and heavy rainfall.

After making landfall, Cyclone Fengal is forecast to move west-southwestwards and gradually weaken into a deep depression within the next six hours.

Ananda Das, head of the IMD’s cyclone division, said a red alert has been issued in view of heavy to extremely heavy rainfall in several parts of Tamil Nadu, south Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and interior Karnataka.

"Mostly coastal districts, with the crossing point between Karaikal and Mahabalipuram near Puducherry, will experience more impact. There will be wind and rainfall. Today, wind speeds reached 50-60 kph, gusting to 70 kph. Between 1pm and 2pm, there will be extremely heavy rainfall. At many places, there will be scattered heavy to very heavy rainfall," said S Balachandran, director of the regional meteorological centre of Chennai.

All schools and colleges remained closed on Saturday in Puducherry and various districts of Tamil Nadu, including Kanchipuram.

Meanwhile, the Puducherry fisheries department has issued an advisory for fishermen, urging them not to venture into the sea as Cyclone Fengal approaches. The advisory also instructed fishermen to move their boats and equipment to higher ground to prevent damage.