The severe cyclonic storm Gaja has crossed the Tamil Nadu coast between Nagapattinam and Vedaranyam early this morning with ferocious winds and torrential rainfall.

The Indian Meteorology Department has said in its bulletin, the eye of the storm began to make the landfall by 00:30 hrs today and took about two hours to move into the land terrain completely.

Weather officials have said, however, though the eye of the storm has moved into the land, parts of the outer band of the storm are still in the sea, continuing to cross the shores.

They have 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.

MET Department has said, the severe cyclone 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.