Cyclone Ditwah tracker highlights: Storm weakens into deep depression, 50 km away from TN-Puducherry coasts

Cyclone Ditwah: Cyclone Ditwah got weakened into a deep depression and the weather system would be centred over southwest Bay of Bengal within a minimum distance of 20 km from the coasts of North Tamil Nadu and Puducherry by December 1 morning, the Regional Meteorological Centre said.

In an update, the IMD said that the deep depression over southwest Bay of Bengal moved northwards with the speed of 10 kmph during past 6 hours and lay centered at 2330 hrs IST of yesterday over the same region. It said that ‘Ditwah’ was located about 90 km south-southeast of Chennai (India), 90 km east-southeast of Puducherry (India), 110 km east-northeast of Cuddalore (India), 180 km north-northeast of Karaikal (India).

Private weather bloggers said Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, Chennai, Chengalpattu and Ranipet districts might experience some rains as the cyclone moved closer to Chennai early Monday morning.

Meanwhile, showers triggered by the Cyclone continued to lash several parts of Tamil Nadu, while three persons have been killed in rain-related deaths, the state government said.

Cyclone Ditwah LIVE: The IMD said that the deep depression is “very likely to move nearly northwards parallel to North Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts and weaken gradually further into a depression by noon of today, the 01st December. The system will be centered over southwest Bay of Bengal within a minimum distance of 30 km by morning of today, the 01st December.”

Cyclone Ditwah LIVE: Sharing an update on the movement of Cyclone Ditwah, which has weakened into a deep depression, the IMD said at 2.01 am on Monday that it “moved northwards with the speed of 10 kmph during past 6 hours” and lay centered at 11.30 pm on Sunday, November 30, “near latitude 12.3°N and longitude 80.6°E, about 90 km south-southeast of Chennai (India), 90 km east-southeast of Puducherry (India), 110 km east-northeast of Cuddalore (India), 180 km north-northeast of Karaikal (India).”

The IMD added that the minimum distance of the centre of the deep depression from north Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts is about 50 km.

Cyclone Ditwah LIVE: The India Meteorological Department has put several districts along the coast of Tamil Nadu on orange alert till 4.00 am on Monday. These districts include Chennai, Villupuram, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Ranippettai, and Thiruvallur.

Cyclone Ditwah LIVE: Andhra Pradesh Government on Sunday said that nearly 7,900 pregnant women nearing delivery have been identified in the districts, where cyclone Ditwah is expected to bring more rainfall and 375 of them have already been shifted to hospitals as a precautionary measure.

Andhra Pradesh medical, health and family welfare Commissioner Veerapandian said that the Medical and Health Department is taking steps to move the remaining women to nearby hospitals to ensure timely medical care.

"A total of 7,871 pregnant women due for delivery soon have been identified, and 375 of them have already been shifted to hospitals as a safety measure," said Veerapandian in an official press release. Read more.

Cyclone Ditwah LIVE: The Indian High Commission to Sri Lanka said on Sunday night that Operation Sagar Bandhu intensified as the Indian Air Force aircraft C130J landed in Colombo to bring more humanitarian relief items.

"Operation Sagar Bandhu intensifies with Indian Air Force aircraft C 130 J landing in Colombo bringing further humanitarian relief items to Sri Lanka. This includes about 4 tonnes of BHISHM modular trauma cubes, about 5 tons of medical supplies as per the request of Sri Lanka Ministry of Health as well as an Indian Air Force Medical Team. BHISHM cubes are highly durable, rapid deployment, mobile primary health units, equipped with diagnostic equipments & compact surgical stations, designed for disaster situations," the High Commission said in a post on X.

All schools in Puducherry, including private and government-aided institutions, will remain closed on December 1, Puducherry Home and Education Minister A Namassivayam said Sunday.

The holiday is a precautionary measure even as the cyclonic storm has weakened into a deep depression. However, heavy rains are expected under the influence of Cyclone Ditwah.

Flight carrying stranded Indian nationals from Sri Lanka landed at the Hindon air base in Ghaziabad on Sunday. The Indian Air Force, in close coordination with Sri Lankan authorities, executed major rescue and evacuation missions in the landslide-hit Kotmale region, which remains completely isolated due to road disruption, PTI news agency reported.

Puducherry chief minister N Rangaswamy on Sunday visited the Uppalam Harbour Beach to review the situation on the ground after the impact of Cyclone Ditwah.

Puducherry Collector Kulothungan accompanied the CM during the visit.

The Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka said the evacuation of stranded Indians in the country was underway through commercial flights and IAF planes. It said two IAF flights, one with 247 passengers to Thiruvananthapuram and a C 130 J with 76 passengers to Delhi, had taken off from Colombo.

It further released emergency numbers. “Any stranded Indian passenger in 🇱🇰 can reach out on the Emergency Help Desk No: +94 773727832 or reach out to the Airline counters now operational at Bandaranaike International Airport, Colombo,” the High Commission said in a post on X.

The death toll in floods and landslides in Sri Lanka triggered after the landfall of Cyclone Ditwah has increased to 334, AFP news agency quoted the country's the Disaster Management Centre as saying.

According to the centre, another 400 people remain missing. While rain has stopped after a week of heavy downpour, low-lying areas of Colombo are still expriencing flooding. More than a million people have been affected in the disaster.

The Regional Meteorological Centre in Chennai said Cyclone Ditwah is located about 90 km southeast of Cuddalore, 120 km northeast of Karaikal, 90 km southeast of Puducherry, 170 km northeast of Vedaranniyam and 150 km southeast of Chennai.

The Met office said the cyclonic storm is expected to weaken into a deep depression, PTI news agency reported. The met office said the storm would be centred over southwest Bay of Bengal within a minimum distance of 30 km from the coasts of North Tamil Nadu and Puducherry by midnight of Sunday.

Cyclone Ditwah is expected to weaken into a deep depression, and be centered over southwest Bay of Bengal within a minimum distance of 30 km from the coasts of North Tamil Nadu and Puducherry by Sunday midnight, ANI news agency quoted the Regional Meteorological Centre as saying.

A video released by PTI news agency shows turbulent sea conditions in Vishakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. The IMD in its release said Cyclone Ditwah is expected to “significantly enhance rainfall activity across multiple districts of Andhra Pradesh.”

At least 400 Indian nationals stranded at the Colombo airport in Sri Lanka due to extreme weather conditions after Cyclone Ditwah hit the island nation were evacuated on Sunday.

Around 150 of them were sent back to Delhi on flight C130, while 250 others were sent to Trivandrum onboard flight IL 76 from the Bandaranaike International Airport, Sri Lankan officials told PTI news agency. Both these aircraft had landed in Sri Lanka with food and humanitarian aid for victims of the flash floods triggered by the cyclone.

Cyclone Ditwah is currently located over the southwest Bay of Bengal and is almost moving northwards. It has remained centered at latitude 11.4 degrees north and longitude 80.6 degrees east, near the north Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts.

According to a release by the IMD, the storm is expected to “significantly enhance rainfall activity across multiple districts of Andhra Pradesh.”

Tamil Nadu revenue and disaster management minister KKSSR Ramachandran reached the state emergency operation center in Chennai on Sunday. Ramachandran reviewed the current situation of Cyclone Ditwah, ANI news agency reported.

Under the influence of Cyclone Ditwah, heavy rain accompanied by strong winds continue to affect Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and south Andhra Pradesh.

As the storm continues to move parallel to the northern Tamil Nadu coastline, authorities have issued severe weather warnings, PTI news agency reported.

With Cyclone Ditwah nearing the Puducherry coast, storm warning flag number five has been hoisted at the port in the union territory, ANI news agency reported. In the warning system used by IMD at Indian ports, flag number 5 indicates a ‘danger’ warning, and is raised when a cyclonic storm is likely to cross the coast.

Puducherry is witnessing moderate rains at present as the eye of the cyclonic storm nears the Indian coast.

As heavy showers triggered by Cyclone Ditwah continued to lash several parts of Tamil Nadu, three persons were killed in rain-related incidents in the state, PTI news agency quoted the state government as saying.

Over the next 24 hours, the cyclone is expected to move parallel to the coastline of northern parts of the state and neighbouring Puducherry, the weather office said.

Cyclone Ditwah live updates: Chief Minister M K Stalin on Sunday said the Tamil Nadu government is ready to help cyclone-affected Sri Lanka, by providing food and medicine, through the Centre.

He also said that steps were being taken by state's Commissionerate of Rehabilitation and Welfare of Non-Resident Tamils to safely bring back home passengers from Tamil Nadu stranded in Sri Lanka.

In the first phase, 177 people, including 4 children and 60 women, have been brought back by Sunday.

Cyclone Ditwah live updates: According to the latest figures released by Sri Lanka’s Disaster Management Centre(DMC) on Sunday, 212 people have died due to the cyclone, with 218 missing since Thursday, PTI reported.

The National Disaster Response Force is on high alert, launching an all-out preparedness drive even as heavy to extremely heavy rains lash Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

Specialised teams of the NDRF have been deployed across vulnerable districts in Tamil Nadu, with additional forces airlifted to Chennai to tackle potential flooding situations and structural collapses, ANI news agency reported.

Rough sea conditions could be seen at the Marina Beach in Tamil Nadu's Chennai as Cyclone Ditwah neared the Indian landmass. According to the latest update by the IMD, the storm is located at a minimum distance of about 80 km from north Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts.

The India Meteorological Department has predicted extremely heavy rains over isolated parts of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh today. “Isolated extremely heavy rainfall is likely over Tamil Nadu & Coastal Andhra Pradesh today (30 Nov),” the weather department said in a post on X.

The IMD further said that heavy to very heavy rainfall was expected across Tamil Nadu, Coastal Andhra Pradesh & Yanam, Rayalaseema, and Telangana on November 30 and December 1.