NEW DELHI, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- The severe cyclonic storm Gaja Friday morning crossed the Tamil Nadu coast in southern India, triggering gusty winds and torrential rains, officials said.
Gaja made landfall between Nagapattinam and Vedaranyam, uprooting trees and damaging roofs of houses.
Officials, however, said there were no report of casualty so far of the cyclone in the affected areas.
According to officials the winds hit the coast with a speed of around 120 kmph.
"The eye of the storm began to make the landfall by 0:30 a.m. (local time) today and took about two hours to move into the land terrain completely," a meteorology department official said.
"It will take a few more hours to get inside the land fully. Therefore, the wind is still persisting in most parts of Nagapattinam district and its adjoining areas."
The severe cyclone according to officials will take several hours to weaken into a cyclone and then into a depression.
"It is set to reach the Arabian sea via mid-western Tamil Nadu and Kerala by tomorrow," the official said.
Reports said 76,290 people were evacuated from low lying areas and sheltered at over 300 relief centres in six districts including Nagapattinam, Pudukottai, Ramanathapuram and Tiruvarur.
Authorities have closed educational institutions in several districts on Friday as a precautionary measure.
Officials said disaster response force personnel who have been deployed in the vulnerable district to carry out rescue work were clearing roads of fallen trees.?
