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Dozens of flights cancelled, train services hit as Cyclone Ditwah nears India coast | what we know
As of Saturday night, the IMD had not confirmed a precise landfall point. A minister said it was still unclear whether the storm would hit the Chennai coast.
Due to Cyclone Ditwah, air and rail operations were hit across Tamil Nadu on Saturday as the storm moved closer to India's coastline, prompting widespread cancellations and emergency preparations.
A review meeting with all stakeholders was held via video conference on November 29 to assess the impact on Chennai Airport, where officials were briefed by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on expected conditions, airport authorities said.
More disruptions are likely on Sunday if the cyclone makes landfall; as of Saturday 36 domestic and 11 international flights remained cancelled, according to PIB Chennai.
Follow Cyclone Ditwah live updates here
Railway war rooms activated
Southern Railway, meanwhile, announced service changes as strong winds and rain affected coastal districts. Train movement on the Pamban Bridge — one of the most vulnerable stretches — was temporarily halted but is now being restored.
“The wind velocity at Pamban Bridge has receded and is now within prescribed limits. Hence, train traffic to Rameswaram will resume soon,” a release said.
The ministry of railways said in a post on X that minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had “reviewed preparedness with Southern Railway teams to ensure minimal disruption”.
It added that war rooms at the Board, zonal and divisional levels had been activated and the department was “continuously monitoring the situation until normalcy returns”.
Where is Cyclone Ditwah now?
Cyclone Ditwah lay centred over the Vedaranyam coast in Nagapattinam district on Saturday evening. The IMD said the system was located 110 km southeast of Vedaranyam, 150 km southeast of Karaikal, 250 km south-southeast of Puducherry, and 350 km south of Chennai.
The cyclone is expected 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 IMD bulletin said.
When is landfall expected in India?
As of Saturday night, the IMD had not confirmed a precise landfall point. State Revenue and Disaster Management Minister K K S S R Ramachandran said it remains uncertain whether the cyclone will make landfall near Chennai, but added that the government is fully geared up to carry out rescue and relief efforts on a war footing, news agency PTI reported.
However, the system is projected to skirt close to the Tamil Nadu–Puducherry coastline throughout Sunday.
Red alert for two districts
Heavy rain triggered by the cyclone lashed coastal and Cauvery delta districts, including Ramanathapuram and Nagapattinam, disrupting normal life with strong winds and waterlogging.
The sea turned turbulent along several stretches, damaging mechanised boats near Mandapam and causing erosion that breached portions of nearby roads.
Extremely heavy rain is expected at one or two locations in Tiruvallur and Ranipet districts, according to B Amudha, director of the Regional Meteorological Centre.
“A red alert has been issued for Tiruvallur and Ranipet districts tomorrow due to the possibility of heavy rain. In Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, winds will blow up to 40–60 km/h,” she told reporters.
Heavy to very heavy rain is also likely in Kancheepuram, Chennai, Chengalpattu, Vellore, Tirupattur, Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Tiruvannamalai and Villupuram.
