Chennai, Oct 31: The cyclonic storm Nilam on Wednesday crossed the North Tamil Nadu coast near Mahabalipuram and is expected to weaken gradually into a deep depression.

"The latest Doppler weather radar observation and coastal observations indicated that the Cyclonic Storm Nilam, moved north-northwestwards and crossed north Tamil Nadu Coast near Mahabalipuram near Chennai near latitude 12.6 deg North and longitude 80.2 degree East between 1600 hours and 1700 hours today," a bulletin issued by the Met office in Chennai said.

It would then move northwestwards and weaken gradually into a deep depression during the next 12 hours, it said.

Met office sources told UNI that the Cyclone has crossed and it was heading northwestwards towards Andhra before it would gradually weaken.

"In the next two to three hours, the intensity of the wind and the rains will gradually subside both in the city and in coastal districts", the sources said.

During the last few hours Puducherry and Cuddalore recorded seven cms of rain.

Thousands of people were evacuated from their homes in Chennai earlier on Wednesday as the cyclone slammed into the coast, with officials warning of possible flooding and damage to houses.

Nilam struck the historic port of Mahabalipuram, 50 kilometres (30 miles) south of Chennai, and is forecast to cross the states of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh overnight.

"More than 5,000 evacuations have been completed," Jayraman, a disaster management official in Chennai, said.

"We have evacuated thousands of people from Mahabalipuram and nearby coastal districts. We are monitoring the situation in Chennai but have not ordered any evacuations there."

The bulletin from the India Meteorological Department predicted that winds gusting up to 100 kilometres (60 miles) an hour would trigger flooding of low-lying areas due to a sea surge and heavy rain.

It said the cyclone would likely cause extensive damage to thatched roofs and huts and also uproot large trees, leading to power blackouts and communication problems.

Residents living in huts along the coast were advised to move to safer areas and fishermen were ordered not to go out to sea.

"We have advised all the schools and colleges to remain closed for the day," Jayraman told AFP.

"All maritime activities have been suspended and the government is monitoring the situation closely. We expect the cyclone to weaken as it moves away from the coast."

Chennai, home to five million people, was not immediately at risk but the cyclone could move up the coast before heading inland, he added.

Local authorities said they were preparing helicopters and boats for any emergency. Existing cyclone shelters, schools and community halls have also been identified to serve as potential relief camps.

Many shops, government offices and private companies closed early to allow people to travel home before the cyclone struck.

Neighbouring Sri Lanka on Tuesday allowed thousands of people who had been evacuated to return to their homes after the storm, which had been expected to hit the island, changed course and moved towards India.

The last cyclone in India struck in the same southeast region in January, claiming 42 lives and leaving a trail of destruction across Tamil Nadu.

India and Bangladesh are hit regularly by cyclones that develop in the Bay of Bengal between April and November, causing widespread damage to homes, livestock and crops. Andhra Pradesh saw its worst cyclone in 1977 when more than 10,000 people were killed.

Rains, fast winds Andhra Pradesh

Heavy rains and gale continued to lash Nellore and other districts of Andhra Pradesh close to Tamil Nadu on Wednesday due to the cyclonic storm Nilam.

The cyclone was supposed to cross north Tamil Nadu and adjoining south Andhra Pradesh coast -- between Puducherry and Nellore near Chennai -- on Wednesday evening, official sources said.

The arrival of the cyclone led to rainfall at most places. Heavy to very heavy rainfall would also occur over south coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema during the next 48 hours, according to the Met department.

There were no reports of death or damage to property, the state commissioner for disaster management said. However, media reports said huts were damaged and trees were uprooted at many places.

Larger-than-usual tidal waves would inundate the low-lying areas of Nellore district, the sources added.

The cyclone was expected to cause minor damage to power and communication lines, and also to the standing rice and groundnut crops.

The government has set up control rooms at the secretariat in Hyderabad and at the district and division level.

Senior IAS cadres have been posted in 13 coastal mandals as special officers and teams have been kept ready for evacuation in low-lying areas, the commissioner said.

Search for missing crew of Pratibha Cauvery on

Chennai, Oct 31 (IANS): Operations are on to rescue 15 crew members of ship Pratibha Cauvery that ran aground here as cyclone Nilam hit Tamil Nadu coast Wednesday afternoon, said an official, even as a person died in the mishap and the fate of six people was not immediately known.

Speaking to IANS, the Indian Coast Guard official said: "Search and rescue operations are on for the crew who decided to abandon the ship."

Earlier, cyclone Nilam crossed the Tamil Nadu coast north of Chennai Wednesday evening between Mamallapuram and Kalpakkam with strong winds battering the area.

The official said that still "fifteen members of the crew are on the ship". Efforts have been stepped up to rescue them.

The Pratibha Cauvery belonging to Mumbai-based Pratibha Shipping with 37 member crew ran aground here.

For reasons yet not known, out of these 37 people, 22 members of the crew decided to abandon the ship in a life boat, officials of Coast Guard and the Chennai Port Trust told IANS.

Unfortunately the life boat capsized with the crew. Out of the 22 who left the ship on the life boat, 16 people were rescued and admitted to an hospital. The fate of six people is not known, officials said.

"Sixteen people were brought here out of which one was brought dead. Three people are in the intensive care unit (ICU)," S. Narasimhan, senior executive, patient care told IANS.

A Chennai Port Trust official said Pratibha Cauvery can be used like a life boat in a condition like this and it is not known why the crew came down on another boat.

"We are in the process of gathering information. We also do not know why the crew came down in a life boat," Nilkanth, director at Pratibha Shipping told IANS over phone.

According to a Chennai Port official, Pratibha Cauvery was proceeding to Mumbai after discharging its cargo at the port.

The ship returned as it was called back by the Chennai Port Oct 8, the official said.

He said the ship's engine was not powerful enough to counter the strong winds and it started drifting towards the shore.

According to him, the possibility of the Japanese-built ship sailing back depends on the extent of the damage the vessel has suffered.

According to Chennai Port officials, all the ships at the harbour were asked to go out into the sea as a safety measure.