Cyclone Thane, packing winds of 140 kilometres per hour, made landfall on India's southern coast Friday, uprooting trees and power lines, officials said, according to dpa. The storm over the Bay of Bengal hit the shore between Cuddalore in Tamil Nadu and the federally administered territory of Pondicherry Friday morning, the Indian Meterological Department said. Thane was likely to weaken a few hours after making landfall in the region, about 180 kilometres south of the Tamil Nadu state capital, Chennai. Pondicherry was cut off from neighbouring areas as winds felled trees onto highways, the NDTV network reported. Deaths had yet to be reported. Waves measuring 1.5 metres were hitting the shore, and fishermen had been advised not to venture into the rough sea. Local agencies were on high alert, and train operations in the region were suspended. People living in low-lying areas were evacuated to 49 cyclone shelters, the report said. The Meterological Department said there would be "heavy to very heavy" rain accompanied by fierce winds in parts of Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala until Saturday morning. Cyclones often form over the Bay of Bengal, bringing widespread destruction and flooding on India's southern and eastern coasts. Last year, 27 people were killed when Andhra Pradesh was battered by Cyclone Laila. More than 1,600 people were killed in a similar storm in Andhra Pradesh in November 1996.
