Cyclone Ditwah moves north: Tamil Nadu sees 3 deaths; 57,000 hectares hit, 149 cattle lost

Chennai: Three people have lost their lives in rain-related incidents caused by Cyclone Ditwah in Tamil Nadu, Minister KKSSR Ramachandran said on Sunday. As many as 149 cattle died and 57,000 hectares of farmland have been affected in the delta districts, the minister for Revenue and Disaster Management said.

"Three people have lost their lives in rain-related incidents since last evening. While two persons died due to wall collapse in Tuticorin and Thanjavur, respectively, a 20-year-old youth died due to electrocution in Mayiladuthurai," he said while briefing reporters at the State Emergency Operations Centre.

Giving a break up of the impact caused to agricultural lands in delta districts, the minister said 24,000 hectares of land were affected in Nagapattinam, 15,000 hectares in Thiruvarur and 8,000 hectares in Mayiladuthurai. "In total, 57,000 hectares of agriculture lands have been submerged due to heavy rainfall," he said.

Responding to a query, he said, nearly 234 huts have been damaged in the delta districts.

Ramachandran said 28 disaster response teams, including SDRF and NDRF, have been kept ready, and an additional 10 more teams have come to Tamil Nadu from other states.

The teams will be sent to take up relief and rehabilitation work in those areas which have been largely affected due to the rainfall, he said.

The minister said through the control room, the government is in constant touch with the district administration of coastal towns and those areas affected by rains.

"Whatever assistance they seek, it will be provided immediately after being brought to the notice of the chief minister (M K Stalin)," he said.

Meanwhile, the weather office said Karaikal in Puducherry received the highest rainfall of 19 cm in the last 24 hours while Sembanarkoil in Mayiladuthurai district recorded 17 cm as of 8.30 am on Sunday.

As per the latest bulletin by the India Meteorological Department issued on Sunday, the cyclone “moved nearly northwards with the speed of 12 kmph during past 6 hours and lay centered at 0830 hrs IST of today, the 30th November 2025 over the same region, near latitude 11.4°N and longitude 80.6°E, about 100 km east-southeast of Cuddalore (India), 100 km east-northeast of Karaikal (India), 110 km southeast of Puducherry (India), 140 km northeast of Vedaranniyam (India) and 180 km south-southeast of Chennai (India).”

"The minimum distance of the centre of the cyclone from north Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts is about 70km. It is very likely to move nearly northwards parallel to North Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts during next 24 hours. While moving northwards the cyclonic storm will be centered over southwest Bay of Bengal within a minimum distance of 60 km and 30 km from the Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coastline by afternoon and evening of today, the 30th November respectively,” the bulletin said. 

Due to the impact of cyclone, heavy to very heavy rain at a few places and extremely heavy rainfall are likely to occur over Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai, Villupuram, Chengalpattu, Pudukkottai, Thanjavur, Thiruvarur, Ariyalur, Perambalur, Tiruchirappalli, Chennai, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur and Ranipet districts and Puducherry and Karaikal over the next 24 hours.

Strong surface winds with speeds reaching 60-70 kmph gusting to 80 kmph are likely to prevail over the North Coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

Sea condition is likely to be high and it is very likely to improve gradually becoming very rough to rough by morning of December 1 and gradually improve thereafter, the bulletin said. Fishermen are advised not to venture into the sea, it said.

(with inputs from PTI)