Cyclone Ditwah Forms Near Sri Lanka; Red Alert Issued for Four Tamil Nadu Districts
A deep depression over parts of Sri Lanka intensified into Cyclone Ditwah on Thursday and is currently moving toward North Tamil Nadu at a speed of 7 km/h. Owing to the cyclone’s impact, a Red Alert has been issued for Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Pudukkottai districts for Friday, November 28, warning of extremely heavy rainfall.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the system over the Southwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining Southeast Sri Lanka–Indian Ocean region strengthened into a deep depression early Thursday (Nov 27). It further intensified into Cyclone Ditwah by Thursday noon while moving in a north–northwest direction.
The cyclone is expected to continue tracking towards the Southwest Bay of Bengal, gradually approaching the coasts of North Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and adjoining South Andhra Pradesh. Due to this movement, widespread rain is likely in South Tamil Nadu, while isolated heavy rain is expected in parts of North Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal from November 28 to December 3, accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning.
As of the latest update, Cyclone Ditwah is located:
440 km south–southeast of Puducherry
540 km south–southeast of Chennai
The IMD forecasts that the cyclone will reach the Southwest Bay of Bengal near the North Tamil Nadu–Puducherry–South Andhra coasts by early Sunday (Nov 30). On Sunday, heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected in Chennai, Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu, Kanchipuram, and Ranipet districts.
