BBC News
 Tamil
Nadu was hit by a cyclone just last month
A cyclone
that threatened havoc over southern India has weakened, calming
fears of widespread destruction.
Cyclone 04B
had already hit Sri Lanka leaving thousands of people homeless,
and at least three people dead.
An alert was
raised in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, which the cyclone
began crossing at 3.30 local time on Thursday (22.30 GMT Wednesday).
But the cyclone
weakened into a storm, with no reports of significant damage.
'No casualties'
"It has
caused very little destruction here, with just a few palm thatched
huts damaged and no casualties being reported from anywhere,"
Malik Ferozekhan, the District Collector in the port of Tuticorin
told Reuters new agency.
"It is
expected to continue to move in a westerly direction and bring
heavy rainfall to parts of southern Tamil Nadu and Kerala states
as it moves towards the Arabian Sea and gradually weakens,"
Mr Ferozekhan said.
The cyclone
was causing winds of up to150 kph (90 mph) when it hit Tuticorin,
575 km (360 miles) south of Madras.
But later
it reduced to winds of 40 kph, with mild drizzles.
Cyclones are
a common phenomenon along the eastern coast of India at this time
of year.
Last month,
at least five people were killed in Tamil Nadu after a tropical
cyclone swept across the state.
A cyclone
in the state of Orissa last year killed nearly 8,500 people and
left approximately 13 million others homeless.
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