Cyclone Ditwah was slowly moving closer towards the Tamil Nadu coast and was likely to bring heavy rainfall, the weather office confirmed on Friday, as the state government reviewed its preparedness to face the second such weather system in a month.
The weather office forecast heavy rains in the southern and Cauvery delta districts of the state between November 29 and 30. The name, ‘Ditwah’ — referring to a lagoon — was suggested by Yemen and is likely named after the Ditwah Lagoon on the island of Socotra.
In a bulletin issued on Friday evening, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the cyclonic storm 'Ditwah' over the Sri Lanka coast and adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal moved slowly northwards with a speed of 7 kmph during the past 6 hours. It lay centred at the same region at 5:30 pm on Friday, located about 270 km south-southeast of Karaikal, 380 km south-southeast of Puducherry, and 490 km south-southeast of Chennai.
The IMD bulletin projected that the cyclone is "very likely to move north-northwestwards across Sri Lanka coast and adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal and reach over southwest Bay of Bengal near north Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and adjoining south Andhra Pradesh coasts by early morning of November 30."
Late last month, Cyclone Montha had brought heavy rains to the northern districts of the state. In light of the new threat, Chief Minister MK Stalin reviewed the situation at the state emergency operations centre.
He announced that "a red alert (extremely heavy rain of over 20 cm in 24 hours) has been issued for the southern and delta districts."
Stalin stressed that the state government has deployed senior officials to vulnerable districts. "I have directed them to remain on high alert, especially in locations badly hit (in the past). They have been instructed to constantly monitor and take steps to prevent any disruption, including snapping of powerlines," he said.
Instructing all departments to work in 'tandem', Stalin ordered officials to keep stock of essential items, including food and milk, and ensure prompt action is taken to clear floodwater in residential areas. He noted that 16 State Disaster Response Force and 12 NDRF teams have been deployed to districts expecting heavy rainfall.
On the potential impact on Chennai, Stalin replied that the city is also expected to receive heavy rainfall. "Camps have been readied with food and essential supplies. Orders have also been issued for the immediate evacuation of people from low-lying areas," he added.
In view of the adverse weather conditions, noted airliner IndiGo has cancelled several flights operating to and from Jaffna, Puducherry, Tuticorin, and Tiruchirappalli on November 29th (Saturday). In a social media post, IndiGo appealed to passengers to check their flight status before leaving for the airport, adding that those whose flights are impacted can explore alternative travel options or claim a refund.
The Southern Railway confirmed that due to wind velocity on Pamban Bridge reaching 58 kmph, the Rameswaram-Okha Express to be operated on Friday night was cancelled. The origin of as many as 11 trains operating in the Rameswaram-Chennai sector has been changed to Mandapam, Ramanathapuram, or Ucchippuli over the next two days.
The weather office warned that rough to very rough sea conditions are prevailing and are likely to become very rough to high sea conditions until November 30, gradually improving from December 1.
Also read: Cyclone Ditwah: TN Health dept gears up for 24x7 medical aid
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