To make landfall around midnight

Chennai: The severe cyclonic storm ‘Nivar‘ over southwest Bay of Bengal moved west-northwestwards with a speed of seven kmph during past six hours and lay centred over southwest Bay of Bengal about 290 km east-southeast of Cuddalore, about 300 km east southeast of Puducherry and 350 km south southeast of Chennai. 

It is very likely to intensify further into a very severe cyclonic storm during the next 12 hours, a bulletin issued by the Met office said today.

It is likely to move northwestwards and cross Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts between Karaikal and Mamallapuram around Puducherry during midnight of today and early hours of tomorrow as a very severe cyclonic storm with a wind speed of 120-130 kmph gusting to 145 kmph.

Under its influence, fairly widespread to widespread rains and thunderstorm activity is very likely over coastal and north interior Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal, south coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema for two days. 

Isolated extremely heavy rainfall activity is also very likely over coastal and north interior Tamil Nadu and Puducherry (Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Cuddalore, Chennai, Kanchipuram, Chengalpattu, Myladuthirai, Ariyalur, Perambalur, Kallakurchi, Villupuram, Tiruvannamalai, Puducherry and Karaikal districts) today.