Extremely severe cyclone narrowly missed the class-topping super cyclone tag on the home-stretch towards Yemen and is expected to make a landfall there by tomorrow morning only.

An India Met Department update said that 'Chapala' moved with a speed of about 20 km/hr and lay centred this morning 400 km southeast of Riyan in Yemen and 140 west-northwest of Socotra Island (Yemen).

Set to weaken

It would weaken gradually into a very severe cyclonic storm during next 24 hours and cross the Yemen coast south of Riyan as a very severe cyclonic storm by noon tomorrow.

High winds from the massive storm have already started wreaking havoc over the Socotra Island, according to international agencies.

The US Joint Typhoon Warning Centre said that the storm was tracking a path that would take it closer to the Yemeni port city of Mukalla, which has a population of three lakh people.

'Chapala' is expected to dump at least 50 cm of rainfall - which is seven times more that average annual rainfall of the arid Mukalla - likely leading to massive flooding, the agencies said.

Northeast monsoon

Meanwhile, closer home, the northeast monsoon has picked up strength with cyclone Chapala having moved sufficiently away to be of much significance for prevailing weather over South India.

A remnant upper air cyclone from a Chapala-hit formation off Sri Lanka has crossed into the Arabian Sea and has thrown back a helpful trough in an east-northast direction.

This 'productive' trough extends right from Lakshadweep to Karnataka and Coastal Andhra Pradesh into North Bay of Bengal and the Northeastern States.

It has been bringing moderate to heavy showers over South Peninsular India as its southern pivot moved slowly from Sri Lanka, the Comorin region, and now Lakshadweep.

Moderate to heavy rain has lashed many parts of Tamil Nadu during the 24 hours ending this morning.

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