CHENNAI, Dec 9 — Schools were closed across Sri Lanka today due to high air pollution levels as a cyclonic storm passed by its coast, raising strong winds and rain, with forecasts that it will make landfall on India’s south-eastern coast around midnight.

Authorities deployed nearly 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.