The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned that Cyclone Ditwah, formed in the Bay of Bengal and is heading towards Tamil Nadu, coastal Andhra Pradesh, and Puducherry. The IMD said that it is likely to approach Chennai on Sunday.
According to the IMD’s latest alert, the cyclonic storm moved north-northwestwards at a speed of 10 kmph over coastal Sri Lanka and adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal during the last six hours and centred over the same area at 02.30 am on Friday.
“It is located at latitude 8.1°N and longitude 81.2°E, about 50 km south of Trincomalee (Sri Lanka), 70 km north-west of Batticaloa (Sri Lanka), 220 km north of Hambantota (Sri Lanka), 460 km south-east of Puducherry (India) and 560 km south-east of Chennai (India),” the alert said.
It will then move north-northwestwards along the Sri Lankan coast and the adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal and reach the southwest Bay of Bengal near north Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and adjoining south Andhra Pradesh coasts in the early hours of November 30.
The warning stated that heavy rain, thunderstorms, and strong winds are expected along the eastern coast until December 1 in four districts.
The storm will also cause light to moderate rain with thunder and lightning at many places in South Tamil Nadu, a few places in North Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal areas on Friday. Strong land winds gusting to 40 to 50 kmph are likely at a few places in Coastal Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal areas.
Heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely at a few places and very heavy rainfall is likely at one or two places in Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, Thiruvarur and Pudukkottai districts.
Heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely at a few places in Ramanathapuram, Sivaganga, Tiruchirappalli, Ariyalur, Mayiladuthurai districts and Karaikal areas, and heavy rainfall is likely at a few places in Thoothukudi, Virudhunagar, Madurai, Perambalur, Cuddalore districts and Puducherry.
Similarly, heavy rain is also likely to occur at one or two places in Pudukkottai, Trichy, Salem, Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Tirupattur, Karur and Namakkal districts.