Photos: Rains pound southern India ahead of cyclone

Cyclone Michuang is expected to make landfall on December 5 along the southern coast

Last updated: December 05, 2023 | 07:06

Compiled by Nathaniel Lacsina, Senior Web Editor and with inputs from AFP

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Chennai: Rains lashed southern India's city of Chennai on Monday ahead of the landfall of a powerful cyclone, with a crocodile spotted swimming the streets and cars floating away.

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Cyclone Michaung will hit the Andhra Pradesh state's coast on Tuesday morning as a "severe cyclonic storm", packing winds of 90-100 kilometres (55-62 miles) per hour winds with gusts up to 110 km/h, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

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In Tamil Nadu, the airport in state capital Chennai was expected to be closed until late Monday, local media reported, as rains pounded the city.

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The Tambaram Government Hospital is flooded following heavy rains along the Bay of Bengal coast in Chennai, India, Monday, Dec.4, 2023.

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The IMD issued warnings to those fishing in the area to suspend operations, warning of expected "major damage" to thatch huts along the coast.

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Trees were uprooted and vehicles swept away due to the heavy rains, according to images posted on social media.

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Tamil Nadu government official Supriya Sahu warned people not to approach a crocodile, after one was spotted on the streets after being been washed out by the rains.

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"No need to panic," Sahu posted on social media. "There is no possibility of harm to humans IF these animals are left alone and UNPROVOKED."

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The police posted images of rescuers evacuating people from waterlogged areas.

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The cyclone is expected to hit India's southeast coast at the town of Bapatla, on the 300-kilometre (185-mile) long stretch between Nellore and Machilipatnam.

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Scientists have warned that storms are becoming more powerful as the world gets warmer with climate change.

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An ambulance makes its way through a waterlogged road after heavy rains in Chennai on December 4, 2023.

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Cyclones - the equivalent of hurricanes in the North Atlantic or typhoons in the Northwest Pacific - are a regular and deadly menace on coasts in the northern Indian Ocean, where tens of millions of people live.

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Cars are seen parked on a flyover by local residents next to a flooded street after heavy rains in Chennai on December 4, 2023.

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