Cyclone Phethai brings Chhatisgarh to its knees

RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh witness the effects of cyclonic storm Phethai, as heavy rain lashed the city and minimum temperature dipped across the state.
Similar conditions are likely to prevail in the next 24 hours, said the weather office.
The cyclone, which made a landfall in Andhra Pradesh, has strengthened over the last 24 hours from the Bay of Bengal, due to which most of Chhattisgarh was under a cloud cover, while most plains, parts of Bastar and Surguja region witnessed light to heavy rainfall.
On Monday, Bilaspur and Surguja division shivered at 7 degree Celsius, after rainfall, and Raipur recorded a temperature of 15 degree Celsius.
The weather office says that the condition may intensify, as heavy rains may lash the state on Tuesday.
The minimum temperature is expected to fall further as clouds clear.
The Indian Meteorological Department had sounded an alert on Sunday, forecasting chances of rainfall and cold winds as Pethai was on way to Andhra Pradesh with a speed of 45-50 kilometres per hour, which amplified to 100 kilometres per hour.
Due to the bad weather, a number of flights were delayed or diverted because of reduced visibility.
Airport officials said Delhi-bound Jet Airways and Indigo flights, and a Mumbai-bound Jet Airways flight was diverted to Nagpur. Similarly, Indigo flight coming from Shamshabad and Indore was diverted via Nagpur before landing in Raipur.