Cyclone Ditwah continues to unleash heavy rainfall across several districts of Tamil Nadu, with the weather system expected to move parallel to the state's northern coastline and neighboring Puducherry over the next 24 hours, according to official reports on Sunday.
Current Situation and Impact
The Cauvery delta districts have been particularly hard-hit, with Ramanathapuram and Nagapattinam districts bearing the brunt of the severe weather conditions. Normal life has been significantly disrupted in the coastal towns of Rameswaram and Nagapattinam, where heavy rainfall has inundated numerous low-lying areas, causing widespread flooding.
According to the latest bulletin from the Regional Meteorological Department, the cyclone has been moving northwards at approximately 5 kmph. The system was positioned about 80 km east of Karaikal, 100 km northeast of Vedaraniyam, 160 km southeast of Puducherry, and 250 km south of Chennai as of Sunday.
Weather Forecast and Warnings
The meteorological department predicts that Cyclone Ditwah will continue moving nearly northwards parallel to the North Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts during the next 24 hours. The cyclonic storm is expected to center over the southwest Bay of Bengal within a minimum distance of 50 km and 25 km from the Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coastline by November 30.
Due to the cyclone's impact, several districts are likely to experience heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places, with extremely heavy rainfall expected in multiple regions. The affected districts include:
- Cuddalore
- Nagapattinam
- Mayiladuthurai
- Villupuram
- Chengalpattu
- Pudukkottai
- Thanjavur
- Thiruvarur
- Ariyalur
- Perambalur
- Tiruchirappalli
- Chennai
- Kancheepuram
- Tiruvallur
- Ranipet
The weather office has also warned of strong surface winds reaching speeds of 60-70 kmph, gusting to 80 kmph, likely to prevail over North Coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. Sea conditions are expected to remain high, gradually improving to very rough to rough by the morning of December 1 before further improvement.
Government Response and Precautions
The Tamil Nadu government has taken proactive measures to address the situation. State Revenue and Disaster Management Minister K K S S R Ramachandran announced that 28 disaster response teams, including SDRF and NDRF units, are on standby, with 10 additional teams expected to join from other states.
Fortunately, there have been no human fatalities reported so far. However, the minister confirmed that 16 livestock have died, and 24 huts have been damaged due to the severe weather conditions. "There has been no major impact due to the rain so far. However, the state government is continuously monitoring the situation and has readied teams for rescue and relief operations," Ramachandran stated on Saturday.
Fishermen have been strongly advised not to venture into the sea until conditions improve significantly.
Private Weather Analysis
Private weather bloggers have provided additional insights, suggesting that Cyclone Ditwah will weaken into a deep depression as it continues its northward movement. Mayiladuthurai has already recorded substantial rainfall, measuring between 140-220 mm in the last 24 hours.
According to one private weather blogger, "The cyclone will weaken further into a deep depression and then to a depression inching northward. It is expected that the system will stay in open waters for one more day, dissipating near the Chennai coast without making landfall."
The name 'Ditwah,' suggested by Yemen, refers to a lagoon and likely originates from Detwah Lagoon, a large saline lagoon located on Socotra's northwest coast.
