Chennai/New Delhi: Cyclone Ditwah, currently over coastal Sri Lanka and the southwest Bay of Bengal, is moving slowly north-northwestwards at 4 kmph and is expected to reach the southwest Bay of Bengal near North Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and adjoining south Andhra Pradesh coasts by early morning of November 30, 2025, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Friday.

As of 11:30 IST, the storm was centred near latitude 8.4°N and longitude 81.0°E, approximately 30 km southwest of Trincomalee (Sri Lanka) and 310 km south-southeast of Karaikal (India). The IMD warned that heavy to very heavy rainfall, strong winds, local flooding, and possible storm surges are expected in coastal and interior Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and parts of south coastal Andhra Pradesh.

Authorities have issued yellow and orange alerts for the affected regions, and fishermen have been advised to avoid venturing into the southwest and west-central Bay of Bengal.

In Tamil Nadu, Health Minister Ma Subramanian said that medical teams will be available round the clock in all government hospitals to manage the anticipated heavy rainfall. Special medical camps will be organised in areas where fever-related cases exceed two persons, he added. Measures have also been taken to ensure uninterrupted power supply in all hospitals.

Chief Minister MK Stalin said the state is fully prepared for Cyclone Ditwah, with 16 SDRF and 12 NDRF teams deployed to districts expected to receive heavy rainfall. He urged all departments to coordinate effectively and advised the public to follow weather warnings, stay indoors, and remain in safe locations.

Meanwhile, India has commenced Operation Sagar Bandhu, providing relief materials and vital Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) support to Cyclone Ditwah-hit Sri Lanka, where the storm has killed 61 people and left 25 missing. Indian naval ships INS Vikrant and INS Udaygiri have delivered relief materials at Colombo as part of the immediate response to the ongoing humanitarian crisis.

According to Sri Lanka’s Disaster Management Centre (DMC), adverse weather that began on November 16 has affected 43,991 individuals from 12,313 families, destroying four houses and partially damaging 666 others. The Sri Lankan Meteorological Department has forecast very heavy rainfall exceeding 200 mm in several northern, central, and western provinces, with rainfall above 150 mm in other districts such as Trincomalee, Badulla, Galle, and Matara.