Cyclone Ditwah has weakened into a deep depression over the southwest Bay of Bengal, continuing its northward trajectory at a speed of 10 kmph, and is projected to further weaken into a depression by Monday noon, as reported by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
The weather agency indicated that the center of the deep depression was approximately 50 km from the northern Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts in an update released at 2 am. Importantly, the IMD had issued a red category warning for the northern Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and adjacent southern Andhra Pradesh coasts.
In the meantime, three individuals have lost their lives due to rain-related incidents caused by Cyclone Ditwah in Tamil Nadu, as stated by state revenue and disaster management minister KKSSR Ramachandran on Sunday.
Cyclone Ditwah: Recent Developments
- The cyclonic storm that was present over the southwest Bay of Bengal has diminished into a deep depression. According to the latest update from the IMD, it has progressed northward at a speed of 10 kmph over the last 6 hours and was located at 11:30 pm on Sunday in the same vicinity.
- The IMD reported that it is situated approximately 90 km south-southeast of Chennai (India), 90 km east-southeast of Puducherry (India), 110 km east-northeast of Cuddalore (India), and 180 km north-northeast of Karaikal (India).
- The deep depression is anticipated to continue moving nearly northward along the coasts of north Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, and is expected to further weaken into a depression by noon on Monday. The IMD also noted that the system will be located over the southwest Bay of Bengal at a minimum distance of around 30 km by Monday morning.
- As the system continues to weaken, heavy to very heavy rainfall may be experienced in isolated regions of Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Chennai, Chengalpattu, Vellore, and Ranipet districts. Light to moderate rainfall is forecasted in several areas across Tamil Nadu and the Puducherry and Karaikal regions, with the possibility of thunderstorms and lightning in one or two locations, as per the Regional Meteorological Centre in Chennai.
- The meteorological department reported that gale-force winds ranging from 60 to 70 km/h, with gusts reaching up to 80 km/h, are anticipated over the northern coastal regions of Tamil Nadu, as well as the areas of Puducherry and Karaikal. Additionally, squally winds of 55 to 65 km/h, with gusts up to 75 km/h, are also expected in the adjacent northern coastal districts of Tamil Nadu and the southern coastal region.
- Light to moderate rainfall is forecasted for most areas in the southern coastal region of Andhra Pradesh and the Rayalaseema area, with heavy rain anticipated in isolated spots. In the northern coastal region of Andhra Pradesh, light to moderate rain is also expected at most locations, with isolated heavy rain predicted for Monday. Furthermore, Odisha is likely to experience light to moderate rain in several areas, along with heavy rain in isolated regions of southern Odisha.
- On Sunday, Sri Lanka’s disaster management agency reported that the death toll from floods and landslides caused by Cyclone Ditwah has risen to 334, with nearly 400 individuals reported missing and over 1.3 million people affected throughout the island.
- The High Commission of India in Sri Lanka announced that the final group of stranded Indian nationals was evacuated under Operation Sagar Bandhu at Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar stated that another Indian Air Force aircraft arrived in Colombo on Sunday, delivering disaster relief supplies as part of Operation Sagar Bandhu.
Are schools closed today in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry?
Several districts in Tamil Nadu had previously declared the closure of schools and colleges. As of December 1, there is no verified information regarding whether schools will remain closed today. Students are advised to reach out to their respective institutions for the most current updates.
In the meantime, all private and government-aided educational institutions across the four regions of Puducherry are closed on Monday (December 1), as announced by the union territory’s Home and Education Minister A. Namassivayam.
