Cyclone Fengal killed at least 19 people in India and Sri Lanka and caused flooding in Tamil Nadu state and the Puducherry region after crossing India’s southern coast from the Bay of Bengal.
Cyclone Fengal made landfall with sustained winds of 70-80 kilometers an hour (43-50 miles per hour).
Three people were electrocuted as a result of the storm in Chennai, Tamil Nadu state disaster management minister KKSSR Ramachandran told reporters late Saturday.
But damage from the cyclone was otherwise “minimal”, he added.
While the storm is expected to gradually weaken into a depression later Sunday, India’s weather bureau warned of heavy rains across parts of India’s south.
It advised a total suspension of fishing operations and also said there was a “moderate to high flash flood risk” in some areas.
Fengal skirted the coast of Sri Lanka earlier this week, killing at least 12 people including six children.
Scientists have warned that storms are becoming more powerful as the world heats up due to climate change driven by burning fossil fuels.
A warming atmosphere also allows them to hold more water, boosting rainfall.
But better forecasting and more effective evacuation planning have dramatically reduced death tolls.
