Live: Bay of Bengal depression turning into severe cyclone, expected to hit Andhra coast on Oct 28

Continuous downpours caused landslips along the Pachamalai ghat section, leading to the closure of Mangalam and Koraiyar waterfalls while disrupting road transport across Tiruchi and adjacent districts.

The weather system is predicted to escalate into a very severe cyclonic storm and landfall near Andhra Pradesh and Yanam on October 28, driving widespread relief planning and citizen evacuations.

Owing to persistent heavy precipitation, Palakkad District Collector K. Sudheer ordered that all educational facilities, including professional colleges, stay shut on Monday (October 26).

As the Char Dham Yatra enters its concluding stage in Uttarakhand, devotees were delighted by the arrival of the season's initial snowfall at Kedarnath and Yamunotri shrines.

Fishermen in the coastal areas of Kakinada have been instructed to halt sea operations starting October 27 due to forecasted torrential rains and squally winds. Those already in deep waters have been advised to head back to shore immediately.

In view of the ongoing rainfall, Dindigul District Collector Durga Moorthy announced a holiday for schools across the district for tomorrow.

In Papanasam dam, the water storage reached 55.75 feet against its total capacity of 143 feet, recording an inflow of 669.70 cusecs and an outflow of 100 cusecs. Meanwhile, Manimuthar dam's water level reached 63.78 feet out of a maximum 118 feet, with 331 cusecs entering and 25 cusecs being released.

Government ministers in Andhra Pradesh have instructed power utility companies to remain vigilant, keeping 25,000 electrical poles ready for emergency restoration as the storm approaches the coastline between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam.

On Sunday, Tiruchi Mayor M. Anbazhagan conducted field visits to low-lying parts of the city susceptible to flooding to evaluate the Corporation’s anti-stagnation measures. During the inspection, the Mayor directed officials to accelerate drain desilting and set up quick-response teams to tackle waterlogging during heavy monsoon spells.

As a depression over the Bay of Bengal threatens to develop into a severe cyclone, administrations in Chittoor and Annamayya districts are taking preventive steps to mitigate damage. Officials are putting contingency plans in place following warnings of torrential rains, urban flooding, and risks to standing crops.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu directed state authorities to maintain strict vigilance as the cyclone approaches the coast. A total of 10 NDRF and 11 SDRF units have been kept on standby to handle evacuations, relief operations, and prompt power restoration.

Continuous heavy rainfall inundated several parts of Puducherry, severely hampering daily activities. Local authorities advised fishermen against venturing into the sea and hoisted warning signals, while citizens demanded stronger safety measures.

Under the influence of the severe cyclonic storm moving across the west-central Bay of Bengal toward Andhra Pradesh, isolated regions in coastal Andhra are likely to experience extremely heavy downpours on October 27 and 28.

Train operations on the historic Nilgiri Mountain Railway route connecting Coonoor and Mettupalayam have been suspended due to adverse weather conditions.

Widespread rainfall persisted over various districts of Tamil Nadu due to an active northeast monsoon, with the IMD predicting further wet weather across the region through October 27. An official from the India Meteorological Department in Chennai clarified that although the Bay of Bengal system is intensifying into a severe cyclone, it will not directly affect Tamil Nadu. Instead, current precipitation in Tamil Nadu is being driven by a weather trough associated with a circulation over the southeast Arabian Sea and adjacent Lakshadweep.

Commuters and pedestrians faced severe inconvenience navigating flooded stretches along 45 Feet Road, close to Balaji Nagar and Venkata Nagar in Puducherry.

Heavy showers led to substantial water stagnation in Salem, forcing commuters to turn back near the Periya Kondalampatti railway underpass after it became impassable.