Tropical cyclone Gaja formed over the Bay of Bengal on 10 November moving west-south-west offshore towards southern India and northern Sri Lanka. Gaja made landfall between Nagapattinam and Vedaranniyam towns in Tamil Nadu State, India, on 15 November, with maximum sustained winds up to 139 km/h.
Some heavy rain was reported in pats of Tamil Nadu and northern Sri Lanka, where flooding affected over 5,000 people.
According to a statement released by the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Cyclone Gaja, claimed 45 lives across the state and affected the districts of Thiruvarur, Thanjavur, Pudukkottai, Dindigul and Trichy.
There were reports of some minor flooding in Tamil Nadu but by far the worst of the damage from Gaja was a result of strong winds. Thousands of homes were severely damaged, over 30,000 electricity poles were broken and 127,000 trees uprooted.
