Cyclone Mandous or Treasure Box? What does name Mandous mean and who named it | All you need to know as it brings rainfall in Tamil Nadu

Cyclone Mandous: Several parts of Tamil Nadu witnessed light to moderate rainfall and some places heavy showers as the cyclonic storm Mandous continued to move closer to the State's coastline, and it is set to cross coast near Chennai starting midnight, the India Meteorological Department said on Friday. Under the influence of the cyclonic storm, several areas here witnessed heavy rainfall (including Nungambakkam--7 CM) and it was light to moderate in other regions.

Cyclone Mandous: What it means

1) Mandous, pronounced 'man-dous' is an Arabic word

2) Mandous means treasure box

3) The name, Mandous, was reportedly picked by the United Arab Emirates

Chennai weather latest news, updates

The IMD said Doppler weather radars are monitoring the cyclone which weakened into a cyclonic storm on December 9 after being a severe cyclonic storm for less than 24-hours and it now lay at about 260 km south-southeast of Chennai and 180 km east-northeast of Karaikal.

The cyclonic storm is very likely to move nearly northwestwards and cross north Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and adjoining south Andhra Pradesh coasts between Puducherry and Sriharikota near Mamallapuram as a cyclonic storm with a maximum sustained wind speed of 65-75 kmph gusting to 85 kmph, during midnight and early hours of Saturday.

Starting from 6 PM today and till midnight the departure of at least five flights from here have been cancelled. Trains including suburban services were operated and there was some disruption in bus services in view of water logging in a string of areas. Schools and colleges were closed in several districts.

In neighbouring Puducherry, the territorial administration declared holiday for all schools and colleges in Puducherry and Karaikal regions on Friday and Saturday after the IMD issued a cyclone warning.
Puducherry Home and Education Minister A Namassivayam said in a release that the government took note of the warning issued by the IMD that a strong cyclone would hit Puducherry and Karaikal regions under the influence of the storm in the Bay of Bengal. All schools and colleges would remain closed for two days from Friday, he added.

The Department of Revenue and Disaster Management geared up all departments concerned with relief works and deployed rescue teams to respond to any exigency. A storm warning signal flag Number Five has been hoisted at the Puducherry port and fisherfolk had been asked not to venture into the sea. Chief Minister N Rangasamy held discussions with officials of Revenue and Disaster Management Department officials.

(PTI Inputs)

Also Read | Cyclone Mandous LIVE Updates: Flights cancelled in Chennai, heavy rain, winds in Tamil Nadu | Cyclone Mandous tracker - Chennai weather today news updates