Cyclone Michaung makes landfall on India’s southern coastal states as nine dead in major flooding

More than 9,000 people evacuated as coastal areas brace for heavy rains

People move in a boat past partially submerged vehicles in Chennai (REUTERS)

Cyclone Michuang made landfall on Tuesday after pummelling southern India, with heavy rains and flooding killing at least nine people even before the storm’s arrival.

The severe cyclonic storm is bringing winds gusting up to 110kmh and hit the state of Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday afternoon, in a landfall process that was set to continue for around three hours, the India Meteorological Department said.

More than 9,000 people have been evacuated from low-lying areas in Andhra Pradesh as well as neighbouring Tamil Nadu, which has been already battered by heavy rains.

Residents in Andhra Pradesh are bracing for rains of more than 200mm (8 inches) over the next 24 hours with all five major dams already at full capacity due to incessant rainfall in recent days.

The cyclone began the landfall process between Nellore and Kavali in Andhra Pradesh and is expected to cross the coast, hitting Chirala-Bapatla.

Relentless heavy rainfall lashed 11 districts of Andhra Pradesh, causing a halt in everyday activities, and disrupting air, suburban metro and road transport. The Andhra Pradesh government said it was on a state of high alert, prepared for rescue and rehabilitation efforts.

A man along with his daughter wades with his stalled vehicle on a flooded road during heavy rains as Cyclone Michaug makes landfall (EPA)

A four-year-old boy died in Tirupati district after a wall collapsed over him, C Nagaraju, executive director of the state’s disaster management authority said.

The rains and strong winds also snapped power lines and uprooted trees, officials said, and more than 140 trains and 40 flights were cancelled in Andhra Pradesh.

A day before Cyclone Michaung hit Andhra Pradesh, eight others were killed in Tamil Nadu.

A man wades across a flooded street after heavy rains in Chennai (AFP via Getty Images)

Heavy rains have wreaked havoc in the capital Chennai and surrounding areas, inundating roads, causing more than 24 hours of power outages and shutting down the Chennai airport until Tuesday morning.

Several areas in the capital city reported water-logging and flooding as authorities continued rescue and rehabilitation work for those affected.

Chennai, a major electronics and manufacturing hub, saw floodwaters sweeping away cars and submerging runways, triggering the shutdown of one of India’s busiest airports.

The airfield at Chennai airport was finally declared operational at 9am on Tuesday after the rains stopped and water receded, a spokesperson for the federal civil aviation ministry said.

Residents in Chennai issued SOS calls on social media and said that the water-logging was up to 7ft in some areas, while power outages continued for more than 36 hours.

The Tambaram Government Hospital is flooded following heavy rains along the Bay of Bengal coast in Chennai (AP)

A video also went viral on social media showing a crocodile crossing a waterlogged road in Perungalathur, a suburban area of Chennai. Officials advised residents to exercise caution and refrain from provoking the creatures, displaced due to the flooding.

Red weather alerts remained in place for large parts of Tamil Nadu as well as Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday, with schools, colleges and banks shut in at least four districts.

In December 2015, floods in Tamil Nadu killed at least 290 people and caused widespread damage.