Cyclone Michaung: Chennai airport closed till 11 pm; Akasa, IndiGo, Vistara flights impacted

Cyclone Michaung updates: Flight operations at the Chennai airport have been suspended till 11pm on Monday due to heavy rains and winds caused by Cyclone Michaung. Earlier, arrivals at the airport were suspended for two hours between 09:17 am and 11:30 am. 

Several flights to and from Chennai have been diverted due to heavy rain and winds. Airlines such as Akasa Air, IndiGo, and Vistara took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to inform users that flights to and from Chennai airport are likely to be impacted due to the movement of cyclone Michaung. 

Akasa Air said in its post on X that all passengers who are unable to travel to and from Chennai between December 4-10 are advised to rebook their flights for any date on or before December 17. The airline further said that passengers would not be charged any additional costs. 

"Due to the inclement weather conditions caused by Cyclone Michaung in the state of Tamil Nadu and the subsequent impact on transport conditions in the region, passengers may experience difficulty in travelling to and from Chennai airport.We understand this may inconvenience your travel plans," Akasa Air said in its post.

IndiGo also advised passengers to check the status of their flights before leaving their homes for airports. "Due to inclement weather in Chennai, flight departures and arrivals are likely to be impacted. Please check your flight status before leaving the airport," the airline said. 

Vistara also advised customers to keep more time in hand while travelling to the airport. "Travel Update: Due to the movement of cyclone Michaung, flights to and from Chennai on December 4, 2023, may be impacted. Customers are advised to allow more time for their journey to the airport," the airline noted. 

Moreover, Air India also took to X to inform users that it is suspending flights to and from Chennai till 11:00 pm on December 4 due to inclement weather conditions.

"Important Announcement: All flight movements to and from Chennai is suspended till 2300 hours of December 4, 2023, due to inclement weather. In view of the situation, Air India will offer its guests holding confirmed tickets on any flight to/from Chennai on 4th December 2023, a one-time waiver of rescheduling/cancellation charges on bookings," the airline said. 

IMD issues red, yellow alerts for Tamil Nadu, Odisha 

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert for Tamil Nadu and said on Monday that parts of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal are likely to experience heavy to very heavy with extremely heavy rainfall (above 204.4 mm) on December 4.

It further said that light to moderate rainfall with isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely to prevail at most places in north coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry and isolated heavy rainfall on December 5. 

The weather office also issyed a yellow alert for heavy rainfall across several parts of Odisha such as Koraput, Rayagada, Malkangiri, Gajapati and Ganjam on December 4. It also said that light to moderate rainfall and thundershowers may also occur at many places in Koraput, Rayagada, Malkangiri, Gajapati, Puri and Ganjam. 

The IMD also predicted similar weather conditions at a few places in Kandhamal, Nabrangnagar, Kalahandi, Nayagarh, Khurda, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack as well as at one or two places in remaining parts of the state. The Met Department also issued an orange alert for December 5 and predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall at one or two places in Koraput, Rayagada, Malkangiri, Gajapati and Ganjam. 

Cyclone Michaung landfall

The cyclone is moving north-northwestwards in the south-west Bay of Bengal at a speed of 13 kmph. Cyclone Michaung will cross the coast between Nellore and Machilipatnam and is likely to make landfall on Tuesday afternoon. 

(With inputs from Shilpa Nair)

Also Read: Chennai weather: Heavy rain in Chennai, schools shut, employees asked to work from home as Cyclone Michaung nears Tamil Nadu

Also Read: Cyclone Michaung: Cyclone is moving north-westwards, expected to make landfall tomorrow afternoon