A red alert has been sounded for northern Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and adjoining south Andhra Pradesh coasts as ‘Ditwah’ is expected to move north-northwestwards and reach the southwest Bay of Bengal near the Tamil Nadu–Puducherry coast by the early morning of November 30. The IMD has advised residents to remain indoors, avoid coastal areas, and follow local administration instructions. Fishermen are warned not to venture into the sea along the affected coasts.
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Cyclone Ditwah landfall
Cyclone Ditwah caused massive destruction in Sri Lanka and it exited the island nation on Saturday afternoon, killing at least 153 people, and leaving 191 others missing, Reuters reported. Now, India has been put on high alert as Cyclone Ditwah moves north-northwest over the southwest Bay of Bengal, heading towards the North Tamil Nadu–Puducherry–South Andhra Pradesh coast.
“It is very likely to move nearly northwards parallel to North Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts during next 24 hours. While moving northwards the cyclonic storm will be centered over southwest Bay of Bengal within a minimum distance 50 km and 25 km from the Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coastline by early morning and evening of today, the 30th November respectively,” the IMD said its latest update on Cyclone ‘Ditwah’ at 2.55 am on Sunday.
The IMD forecasts that Ditwah will track nearly northwards, moving parallel to the Tamil Nadu–Puducherry coastline over the next 24 hours. The storm is expected to come within 50 km of the coast by early morning and as close as 25 km by this evening, posing a significant risk of heavy rainfall, strong winds, and rough sea conditions along the coastal stretch.ALSO READ: Cyclone Ditwah tracker: Where is cyclone Ditwah heading and when will it make landfall? Check latest update from IMD
Heavy rainfall expected in Chennai
Strong winds and rough sea conditions witnessed in Chennai as Cyclone Ditwah moved closer to Tamil Nadu’s capital, ANI reported. The IMD has warned of a yellow alert for various districts in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, including Chennai, for the next three hours. Light to moderate rain with thunderstorm and lightening is expected in these regions.
IMD director general of meteorology, Dr Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, told ANI the path the storm is likely to chart after leaving Sri Lanka.
“There could be a slight intensification. With this wind speed, the cyclone storm will continue to move north-northwestwards and reach near the North Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coast by 30th early morning,” Mohapatra told the news agency.
Heavy to very heavy rainfall is predicted at several places, with extremely heavy rain at isolated locations across Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai, Villuppuram, Chengalpattu, and Puducherry–Karaikal areas. Other districts, including Thanjavur, Tiruchirappalli, Chennai, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, and Ranipet, are likely to witness heavy rainfall, while isolated regions in Vellore, Dharmapuri, Dindigul, and Theni may also experience significant showers.
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