Residents on edge as Cyclone Ditwah threatens South India with heavy rain and winds up to 90 kmph

Red and orange alerts have been issued across Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, and Puducherry as Cyclone Ditwah moves slowly toward the southwest Bay of Bengal, with landfall expected by early November 30, according to the IMD.

IMD red alerts

Tamil Nadu: Cuddalore, Mayiladuthurai, Villupuram, Chengalpattu, Puducherry

Extremely heavy rainfall expected across these coastal districts

IMD orange alerts

Tamil Nadu: Chennai, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, Ranipet, Tiruvannamalai, Salem, Kallakurichi, Perambalur, Tiruchi, Ariyalur, Pudukkottai, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Karur

Andhra Pradesh: Tirupati, Chittoor, Bapatla, Prakasam, Nellore

Kerala: Heavy rain forecast; Idukki reservoirs on red alert, Thrissur and Kozhikode on orange alert

Karnataka & Telangana: Heavy downpour with thunderstorms today and tomorrow

Cyclone movement: Expected to near Tamil Nadu–Andhra coast by November 30

The cyclonic storm Ditwah, formed over coastal Sri Lanka and the southwest Bay of Bengal, is moving north-northwest at 10 kmph.

It currently lies 40 km southwest of Trincomalee, Sri Lanka. 320 km southeast of Karaikal, India

The storm is expected to intensify slightly and approach the southwest Bay of Bengal near north Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Puducherry by early November 30.

Forecast highlights

Extremely heavy rain: Nellore, Prakasam, Tirupati, Chittoor, Annamaya, Kadapa

Heavy to very heavy rain: Bapatla, Guntur, Palnadu, Nandyal

Chennai & northern TN districts: Heavy to very heavy rain throughout the weekend

Wind speeds: 70–80 kmph, gusting to 90 kmph in delta and coastal regions

Fishermen warned not to venture into the sea till December 1

Flight & train disruptions as weather worsens

Flight cancellations

A total of 54 flights have been cancelled across Tamil Nadu and nearby states.

Chennai Airport: 16 flights cancelled (to Thoothukudi, Madurai, Trichy) and 16 return services

Other regions: 22 flights between Madurai, Trichy, Puducherry and Bengaluru/Hyderabad cancelled

Small aircraft operations at Chennai, Madurai, Trichy, Thoothukudi, and nearby airports are suspended from Sunday morning until night

Train services affected

Trains from Chennai, Kanyakumari, and Madurai bound for Rameswaram halted at Mandapam

Government buses deployed to ferry passengers to Rameswaram

Trains from Rameswaram will originate from Mandapam until winds fall below danger levels for the Pamban sea bridge

Schools closed & precautionary measures intensified

The Villupuram district administration announced:

Closure of all schools on Saturday

No special classes or examinations permitted

Authorities have identified 103 vulnerable locations across the district likely to face flooding or storm impact.

Pondicherry Central University has postponed all examinations due to the cyclone.