The cyclonic storm ‘Ditwah’ over the Bay of Bengal intensified its approach to India’s eastern coast on Sunday, bringing torrential rains and powerful winds that have disrupted normal life across Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. The severe weather has tragically resulted in three fatalities in Tamil Nadu.
Revenue and Disaster Management Minister KKSSR Ramachandran confirmed the deaths, stating, “Three people have lost their lives in rain-related incidents since last evening. While two persons died due to wall collapse in Thoothukudi and Thanjavur, respectively, a 20-year-old youth died due to electrocution in Mayiladuthurai.”
The storm’s impact has also hit the delta districts hard, where the Minister reported the death of 149 cattle and the flooding of nearly 57,000 hectares of farmland, raising significant concerns about crop damage.
IMD Issues Red Alert as Cyclone Tracks Parallel to Coast
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a Red Alert for North Tamil Nadu, including Chennai, as Cyclone Ditwah continued its trajectory. According to the early morning update, the cyclonic storm moved nearly northwards at a speed of 7 kmph and was centered over the southwest Bay of Bengal, gradually tracking parallel to the North Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts. The latest forecast suggests no immediate landfall is expected, but the storm will come dangerously close to the coastline, passing within 25 km by Sunday evening.
The continuous movement of Ditwah is expected to bring widespread, heavy rainfall over the next 24 hours, with extremely heavy rainfall likely in:
- Cuddalore
- Nagapattinam
- Mayiladuthurai
- Villupuram
- Chengalpattu
- Puducherry and Karaikal
Other major districts like Chennai, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, and Thanjavur are also on high alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall, with officials urging residents to remain indoors and avoid coastal areas. The Tamil Nadu government has deployed NDRF and SDRF teams, established over 6,000 relief camps, and is closely monitoring the situation as the cyclone brings strong gale-force winds and turbulent sea conditions along the coast.