Cyclone Ockhi: Dozens of fishermen missing in Indian storm

Ten ships have been dispatched to locate fishermen missing since Thursday

India's coast guard is searching for 42 fishermen who are thought to be lost at sea after a cyclone.

The Tamil Nadu state's coast guard said 113 fishermen went missing on Thursday but 71 of them have been rescued.

Ten ships have been dispatched to look for those who are still missing.

Teams from the National Disaster Response Force and the Indian navy are on standby as forecasts warn of heavy rains in the southern states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

The death toll from Cyclone Ockhi, as it is known, is still unclear. Local media says it has killed at least nine people in Tamil Nadu, and four in Kerala.

India's meteorological department said on Friday that the worst of the storm has passed the mainland and moved towards the Lakshadweep islands in the Arabian Sea. The island is on high alert.

Schools have been closed in Tamil Nadu's capital Chennai amid heavy rains

Schools have been closed in parts of Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Cyclone Ochki comes about two years after Tamil Nadu's capital Chennai experienced devastating floods, which killed 70 people.

A deadly cyclone, named Vardah, lashed coastal areas in southern Indian, including Tamil Nadu, in 2016.