Outlook Planet Desk
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Friday that Cyclonic Storm Ditwah has started tracking towards the northern Tamil Nadu coastline, Puducherry and the southern parts of Andhra Pradesh.
The weather agency said Cyclone Ditwah was positioned about 480 kilometres south-southeast of Puducherry and nearly 580 kilometres south-southeast of Chennai, according to its latest update posted on X (formerly twitter).
The IMD reported that Cyclone Ditwah moved northwestwards at eight kilometres per hour over coastal Sri Lanka and the adjoining Bay of Bengal, remaining centred near Batticaloa and Trincomalee late on 27 November.
The agency said the cyclone is expected to continue tracking north-northwestwards along the Sri Lankan coast, before entering the southwest Bay of Bengal and approaching north Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and south Andhra Pradesh by 30 November.
Officials cautioned that the cyclone could bring powerful winds, heavy rain and hazardous sea conditions across the coastal belt in the coming days as the system continues to affect the region.
The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) said Ditwah is not expected to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm, yet red alerts remain in place for Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam and Mayiladuthurai until 30 November.
Orange alerts have also been issued for Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Ranipet and Chengalpattu, signalling the possibility of very heavy rainfall between eleven and twenty centimetres over a twenty-four-hour period.
The RMC noted that winds near the cyclone’s core may strengthen to sixty to eighty kilometres per hour, with gusts touching ninety, while surrounding bands are expected to experience lower yet risky wind speeds.
The Andhra Pradesh disaster management authority said the cyclone is likely to bring heavy rain and strong winds to South Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema, with districts such as Chittoor, Tirupati, Nellore, Prakasam and YSR Kadapa expected to be significantly impacted.