Cyclone Ditwah highlights: PM Modi calls Lankan president, expresses condolences; rain continues in TN, Andhra

• The deep depression, which is the remnant of Cyclone Ditwah, was practically stationary over westcentral and adjoining areas of southwest Bay of Bengal and North Tamil Nadu & South Andhra Pradesh coasts as of Monday evening.

• According to IMD's latest update, it lay centered near latitude 13.0°N and longitude 80.6°E, about 50 km east of Chennai (India), 140 km northeast of Puducherry (India), 160 km north-northeast of Cuddalore (India), 170 km south-southeast of Nellore (India).

• The minimum distance of the centre of the deep depression from the north Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts is about 35 km.

• The storm is moving slowly northwards, parallel to North Tamil Nadu - South Andhra Pradesh coasts, and maintaining the intensity of a deep depression, the weather department said.

• It is likely to continue to move northwards and further weaken into a depression by early Tuesday.

• The system will be centered over westcentral & adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal within a minimum distance of 30 km from the Chennai coast around midnight of today (December 1).

Tamil Nadu's Chennai, which continues to receive steady rainfall under the influence of the deep depression, is witnessing an inundation of roads and highways.

Low lying areas, including residential localities, are also witnessing waterlogging, PTI news agency reported. A car sunk in stagnant water accumulated on a road in Chennai, and a government bus was stranded due to sudden inundation in Poonamallee.

The continuous rain in Chennai led to the cancellation of ten flights from Tamil Nadu's Capital city. Several parts of the state apart from Chennai, including Thiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Cuddalore, and Ranipet, received moderate rainfall on Monday.

Cyclone Ditwah has weakened into a deep depression and is expected to further weaken into a depression, with its remnants currently causing rain in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Andhra Pradesh.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday spoke to Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, even as India is assistant the rescue and relief operations in the island nation and

Modi expressed condolences over the death and devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah in Sri Lanka.

IMD Amaravati Director Stella Samuel on Monday said that the deep depression, which is the remnant of Cyclone Ditwah, “now lies over the Southwest Bay of Bengal, off the North Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coast, and the Southwest Bay of Bengal off south coastal Andhra Pradesh.”

".. Fishermen are requested not to venture into the sea, uprooting of trees or electric poles, especially over the south coastal Andhra Pradesh, is likely over the coastal districts..." the IMD director in Amaravati told ANI news agency.

More than 2,000 stranded Indians have been brought back from Sri Lanka under Operation Sagar Bandhu, with India also delivering 53 tonnes of relief material to the island nation via air and sea.

“NDRF teams continue to carry out search and rescue operations in various severely affected and isolated regions of Sri Lanka, assisting flood-hit families and ensuring their immediate safety. Over 150 persons have been rescued and assisted in these combined operations, which are continuing,” the Ministry of External Affairs said.

Sri Lanka's Deputy Minister for Tourism Ruwan Ranasinghe Monday thanked India and the National Disaster Response Force for aid and support and rescue operations.

In a post on X, the Indian High Commission said, “OperationSagarBandhu in Badulla. Deputy Minister for Tourism Ruwan Ranasinghe thanked India and the National Disaster Response Force for their disaster response operations. A team from NDRF including landslide specialists is working in close coordination with Sri Lankan authorities in Badulla district to recover landslide casualties and deliver critical assistance wherever possible.”

The Indian Air Force evacuated 57 persons stranded in Sri Lanka and delivered aid to the island nation under Operation Sagar Bandhu as it battles with the wreckage left behind by Cyclone Ditwah.

“IFC 1875 helicopter safely evacuated 57 stranded persons, including 10 children from Irunguwatta to Matale, earlier today. It also delivered 2.5 tons of rations at Keagalle today,” the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka said.

As Tamil Nadu experiences incessant rainfall, waterlogging was seen in Tiruvallur, with vehicles stranded in stagnant rainwater.

The cyclonic storm ‘Ditwah’, which is now a deep depression, will likely remain stationary as a weakened system for the next 24 hours, IMD said. The weather department said the deep depression will further weaken, and its remnants could cause rain.

Meanwhile, several parts of Tamil Nadu, including Chennai, Thiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Cuddalore, and Ranipet, continued to receive moderate rain on Monday, PTI news agency reported.

Chennai is witnessing continuous and heavy downpour, with the storm being at a minimum distance of 35 km from the Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts. The rainfall has led to waterlogging in many parts of the city, as seen in a video released by ANI news agency.

The IMD in its latest update on ‘Ditwah’ said the deep depression will weaken into a depression by Monday evening. The weather department said the remnants of the cyclone are expected to move slowly north, parallel to the North Tamil Nadu-South Andhra Pradesh coasts.

It was located at a minimum distance of 35 km from the Tamil- Nadu-Puducherry coast as of 11:30 am IST on Monday.

Cyclone Ditwah, which has now weakened to a deep depression, was centered over southwest Bay of Bengal, and was moving slowly at a speed of 3 kmph at 11:30 am IST.

The deep depression was near 13.0°N/80.6°E latitudes, according to IMD, and was at a distance of 50 km east of Chennai, 140 km north east of Puducherry, 160 km north/ north east of Cuddalore and 170 km south/ south east of Nellore.

The weather department said the storm was within a minimum distance of 35 km from the Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coast.

Tamil Nadu chief minister M K Stalin held a review meeting to discuss measures taken in view of Cyclone Ditwah, PTI news agency reported. The state is receiving rain as remnants of Cyclone Ditwah remain close to the Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts.

Several parts of Tamil Nadu, including Chennai, Thiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Cuddalore, and Ranipet continued to receive moderate rainfall on Monday.

22 teams of the National Disaster Response Force have been deployed in Tamil Nadu, and three in Puducherry, NDRF DIG for the South and South Central Zones, Dr Hari Om Gandhi told ANI news agency.

“..The teams have been deployed in the vulnerable areas...They are in alert mode...” the DIG said, adding that Cyclone Ditwah was moving northward and would soon become a depression.

Cyclone Ditwah live updates: Heavy rains lashed Tiruvallur and other districts of Tamil Nadu on Monday, in the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah.

Besides Tiruvallur, several other parts of the state also witnessed intense rainfall after the cyclone made landfall. Chennai experienced strong winds, heavy showers, high tides and visible damage along Marina Beach.

Cyclone Ditwah live updates: The storms – Senyar in Indonesia and Ditwah in Sri Lanka have caused over 1,000 deaths, making these two countries the hardest hit by heavy rainfall, flooding, and landslides.

About 20,000 homes had been destroyed and over 100,000 people have been moved to government shelters in the Sri Lanka.

Cyclone Ditwah live updates: The Chennai Airport has announced the cancellation of ten flights from Chennai to Port Blair. It appealed to the passengers to check with their respective airlines for further updates.

Notably, several parts in Tamil Nadu including Chennai, Thiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Cuddalore, and Ranipet continued to receive moderate downpour on Monday.

Cyclone Ditwah live updates: Nepal has extended an economic aid of USD 200,000 for relief and rescue operations in flood-hit Sri Lanka, underlining that it stands firmly with the island nation in this difficult time, reports PTI.

"As a gesture of solidarity, the Government of Nepal has decided to extend an assistance of USD 2,00,000 for the relief and recovery operations," the country's ministry of foreign affairs said in a press release.

Cyclone Ditwah live updates: Several parts in Tamil Nadu including Chennai, Thiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Cuddalore, and Ranipet continued to receive moderate downpour on Monday due to the remnants of the cyclonic storm Ditwah that remained close to Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts, reports PTI.

Cyclone Ditwah live updates: According to the Daily Mirror, the worst-hit district in Sri Lanka is Kandy, where 88 deaths and 150 missing persons have been recorded. Badulla recorded 71 deaths, Nuwara Eliya recorded 68 deaths, and Matale reported 23 deaths, along with significant casualties.

Cyclone Ditwah live updates: Sri Lanka is setting up a fund to repair damage from Cyclone Ditwah as the island nation faces its “largest and most challenging natural disaster,” President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has said, according to Bloomberg.

“From small-scale self-employed workers to major industrialists, from farmers to livestock breeders, every sector has been severely impacted,” Dissanayake said.

Cyclone Ditwah live updates: Heavy rains has been reported in Tiruvallur and other districts of Tamil Nadu on Monday in the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah, reports ANI.

Besides Tiruvallur, several other parts of the state also witnessed intense rainfall after the cyclone made landfall. Chennai experienced strong winds, heavy showers, high tides and visible damage along Marina Beach.

Cyclone Ditwah live updates: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said that the deep depression, the remnant of Cyclonic Storm Ditwah, currently centred over the southwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining north Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts, has moved northwards at a speed of 10 kmph in the past six hours.