Ditwah West coast on high alert
India’s Coromandel coast is on high alert as Cyclone Ditwah is expected to hit landfall close to the North Tamil Nadu-Puducherry-South Andhra Pradesh coast early November 30.
The cyclone has left 153 dead and several missing in Sri Lanka. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of heavy to extremely heavy rainfall, strong winds and the risk of urban flooding across multiple southern States as the system approaches land.
Residents have been advised to follow safety instructions and remain indoors during severe weather. The authorities have stepped up preparedness on multiple fronts, from large-scale relief operations to flight cancellations and district-wide holiday notifications for schools and colleges.
The cyclone was centred 110 km southeast of Vedaranyam, 150 km southeast of Karaikal, 250 km south-southeast of Puducherry, and 350 km south of Chennai. It is likely to move north-northwest and approach the North Tamil Nadu-Puducherry-South Andhra Pradesh coasts by early November 30.
“It will come within 60 km tonight, 50 km on the morning of November 30, and 25 km on the evening of November 30 along the Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coast,” the bulletin said.
The Chennai airport authorities said about 54 flights to various districts in the State have been cancelled owing to the cyclone.”With the IMD warning that Cyclone Ditwah would cause heavy to very heavy rainfall today with wind velocity of 10-15 knots, gusting up to 25 knots, from the north-easterly direction, the Chennai Airport is taking all precautionary measures,” the Chennai Airport said in a post on ‘X’.
Trains from Chennai, Kanyakumari, and Madurai bound for Rameswaram were halted at Mandapam, where Government buses were arranged to ferry
passengers to the island. Services originating from Rameswaram will also operate from Mandapam until conditions improve. Rain triggered by Cyclone Ditwah lashed coastal and delta districts on Saturday, with Ramanathapuram and Nagapattinam witnessing the heaviest impact. Normal life in Rameswaram remained disrupted for a second day due to continuous rain and strong winds, and a few trees were uprooted in Nagapattinam.
