Schools are closed across Sri Lanka due to high air pollution levels as a cyclonic storm passes by its coast, raising strong winds and rain with forecasts it will make landfall on India's southeastern coast.
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Authorities deployed almost 400 disaster relief personnel in Tamil Nadu state and urged people to stock up on essentials and be prepared to move to shelters as cyclone Mandous approached.
The sky turned cloudy with sporadic rain in Sri Lanka's commercial capital Colombo and other cities as the cyclone pulled pollution from neighbouring India, prompting health authorities to advise children and the elderly to remain indoors.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said Mandous has weakened from an earlier severe category but warned a storm surge of about 0.5 metres above the high tide was likely to inundate low-lying coastal areas of northern Tamil Nadu and neighbouring Puducherry when the cyclone makes landfall.
Heavy to extremely heavy rainfall was expected in those areas and also further north along the shores of Andhra Pradesh state, IMD said.
It warned coastal communities were likely to suffer damage to thatched, mud houses and power and communication lines.
As the cyclone moves away from Sri Lanka, the air quality there is likely to improve on Friday and Saturday, the National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) said in a statement.
Australian Associated Press
