Cyclone Ditwah weakened into a deep depression on Sunday as it moved over the southwest Bay of Bengal, positioned around 35 km from the North Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts on the morning of December 1, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
The weather agency has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall on Monday across Tiruvallur, Ranipet, Kancheepuram, Chennai, Chengalpattu and Vellore districts, while isolated heavy rain is expected in Tirupathur, Tiruvannamalai, Villupuram and Puducherry.
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The IMD has also warned of strong winds reaching 60–70 kmph, gusting to 80 kmph, over north coastal Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and the Karaikal region. At least three people have died in rain-related incidents in Tamil Nadu, state revenue and disaster management minister KKSSR Ramachandran confirmed.
Disaster in Srilanka
Before nearing the Indian coast, Cyclone Ditwah caused severe devastation in Sri Lanka, killing at least 334 people and leaving nearly 370 missing. More than 20,000 homes were destroyed, and over 100,000 people have been moved to government shelters. The Indian Air Force has stepped up humanitarian assistance under Operation Sagar Bandhu and has evacuated more than 400 stranded Indians from Colombo in two transport aircraft, according to PTI.
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About Cyclone Ditwah
The Tamil Nadu government has placed around 38 disaster response teams, including SDRF and NDRF, on standby, while ten additional teams from other states joined the relief and rehabilitation efforts on Saturday evening, according to PTI. The name ‘Ditwah,’ suggested by Yemen, refers to a lagoon and is likely derived from Detwah Lagoon on Socotra’s northwest coast.
