Tropical Cyclone Vardah slams into Chennai

At least four people have been killed after Tropical Cyclone Vardah smashed into Chennai and some other areas in southern India.

The storm hit the densely populated coast of Andhra Pradesh with winds of 140 kilometres per hour, causing widespread wind damage.

Tens of thousands of people were evacuated from their homes as the cyclone approached, and flights and trains were cancelled.

As the storm raged, trees and power lines were torn down and a number of vehicles were overturned.

A total of 224mm of rain poured down on the city, causing significant flooding. This is much more than the average for the whole of December, which is just 146mm.

The storm is now disintegrating as it heads west, over the Indian peninsular and into the Arabian Sea.

Additional reporting by Steff Gaulter.