IMD tracks Cyclone Ditwah as it moves from coastal Sri Lanka towards north Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and south Andhra Pradesh, with red and orange alerts issued for several districts over the next two days

Cyclonic Storm Ditwah is moving towards the coasts of northern Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and south Andhra Pradesh, prompting fresh warnings of heavy rain, strong winds and rough sea conditions from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and regional authorities.

The IMD said on Friday that Ditwah has started tracking towards the northern Tamil Nadu coastline, Puducherry and the southern parts of Andhra Pradesh. The system was located about 480 kilometres south-southeast of Puducherry and nearly 580 kilometres south-southeast of Chennai, according to the latest update posted on X.

The weather office reported that the cyclone moved northwestwards at eight kilometres per hour over coastal Sri Lanka and the adjoining Bay of Bengal, remaining centred near Batticaloa and Trincomalee late on 27 November. It is expected to continue north-northwestwards along the Sri Lankan coast before entering the southwest Bay of Bengal and approaching north Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and south Andhra Pradesh by 30 November.

Officials cautioned that the system could bring powerful winds, heavy rain and hazardous sea conditions across the coastal belt in the coming days as it continues to affect the region.

The Regional Meteorological Centre said Ditwah is not expected to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm, but red alerts remain in place for Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam and Mayiladuthurai until 30 November. Orange alerts have been issued for Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Ranipet and Chengalpattu, signalling the possibility of very heavy rainfall between eleven and twenty centimetres over a twenty-four-hour period.

The centre noted that winds near the cyclone’s core may strengthen to sixty to eighty kilometres per hour, with gusts touching ninety, while surrounding bands are expected to experience lower yet risky wind speeds.

The Andhra Pradesh disaster management authority said the cyclone is likely to bring heavy rain and strong winds to South Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema, with districts such as Chittoor, Tirupati, Nellore, Prakasam and YSR Kadapa expected to be significantly impacted.