Cyclone Ditwah disrupts TN

Chennai: Rain triggered by Cyclone Ditwah, which entered the open sea while approaching the Tamil Nadu coast, lashed coastal areas and Cauvery delta districts on Saturday, with Ramanathapuram and Nagapattinam districts bearing the brunt. As normal life in Rameswaram and Nagapattinam was affected by continuous rain accompanied by gusty winds, State Revenue and Disaster Management Minister K K S S R Ramachandran said that about 28 disaster response teams, including SDRF and NDRF teams, are on standby.

Cyclone Ditwah lay centred over the Vedaranyam coast in Tamil Nadu's Nagapattinam district, according to the latest bulletin from the IMD. Under its influence, the sea in the coastal districts became turbulent. Choppy waves damaged a few mechanised fishing boats anchored near Mandapam, while portions of nearby roads were breached due to sea erosion.

The cyclone was centred 110 km southeast of Vedaranyam, 150 km southeast of Karaikal, 250 km south-southeast of Puducherry, and 350 km south of Chennai. It is likely to move north-northwest and approach the North Tamil Nadu–Puducherry–South Andhra Pradesh coasts by early November 30.

“It will come within 60 km tonight, 50 km on the morning of November 30, and 25 km on the evening of November 30 along the Tamil Nadu–Puducherry coast,” the bulletin said. According to B Amudha, Director, Regional Meteorological Centre, heavy to very heavy rain is likely at a few places, with extremely heavy rain at one or two locations in Tiruvallur and Ranipet districts.

Heavy to very heavy rain is also likely at a few places in Kancheepuram, Chennai, Chengalpattu, Vellore, Tirupattur, Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Tiruvannamalai, and Villupuram districts. “A red alert has been issued for Tiruvallur and Ranipet districts tomorrow due to the possibility of heavy rain. In Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, winds will blow up to 40–60 km/h,” she told reporters.

Minister Ramachandran said it was not yet clear if the cyclone would hit the coast near Chennai, but the state government is fully prepared to launch rescue and relief operations on a war footing. “About 28 disaster response teams, including SDRF and NDRF, are on standby. We are planning to airlift 10 more teams from other states.