Cyclone Ditwah to impact parts of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh; IMD warns

According to the Indian Meteorological Department(IMD), the weather system between the Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka coasts has intensified into Cyclone Ditwah. It is likely to continue moving north-northwestwards and head towards North Tamil Nadu-Puducherry-South Andhra Pradesh by early morning of Sunday, (30th Nov).

In light of the cyclone alert, the National Disaster Response Force(NDRF) has kept 10 teams comprising 30-members on standby at their base in Arakkonam, near Chennai. As of Thursday, (27thNov) noon, the cyclone is about 90kms southeast of Batticaloa, Sri Lanka and 700kms southeast of Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

For Friday and Saturday, the IMD has warned of heavy-very heavy(7-20cms) or extremely heavy(over 21cms) rainfall at a few locations in Tamil Nadu. This includes Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Pudukottai, Cuddalore, Villupuram, Chengalpattu, among others. For Sunday, the IMD has warned of heavy to very heavy rain in Chennai and adjoining districts.

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Owing to very rough sea conditions along the Tamil Nadu and South Andhra Pradesh coast, IMD has warned fishermen against venturing out to sea until Sunday, (30th Nov). As the system nears the coast, wind speeds are expected to reach up to 100kmph. The formation of multiple weather systems or cyclonic storms in the Bay of Bengal is typical of the ongoing Northeast monsoon season, which is active between mid-October and mid-December. The Northeast monsoon caters for about 50% or more of the annual rainfall in Tamil Nadu and coastal Andhra Pradesh.

This season is known for cyclonic storms or weather systems that form in the Bay of Bengal, which can lead to very heavy rainfall and potential flooding in parts of Tamil Nadu and coastal Andhra Pradesh. These rains are also crucial for recharging the water table and the reservoirs.