August in Point Calimere continues the closure. The SW monsoon residue adds another 100-130mm across the month — the lagoon water levels rise to roughly 25-35 percent of NE-monsoon peak capacity. Daytime 26-32C, humidity 80 percent, rain across 9-11 wet days. The dry-grassland zone holds blackbuck antelope, feral horse, chital, wild boar, jackal herds at standard year-round densities. The Forest Department maintains visitor closure through the SW-monsoon-residual period. The TN coast cyclone watch begins from October 1 — Cyclone Gaja landed at Vedaranyam (16km north of Kodikkarai) on November 16, 2018 with major destruction across the Point Calimere region: 60+ deaths, 80,000+ trees uprooted, the Forest Department Inspection Bungalow at Kodikkarai damaged. The sanctuary infrastructure has been rebuilt since 2018 but cyclone risk to the immediate region remains the highest along the Tamil Nadu coast. The sanctuary reopens early November.

Why August scores 2.0/10