Cyclone Ditwah: What the name means, its predicted path and how it could impact south India

According to the IMD, the depression is located around 170 km east of Hambantota in Sri Lanka and about 210 km south-southeast of Batticaloa. (Photo: X/@_Imsarath2000)

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Thursday said that a low-pressure area in the southwest Bay of Bengal has strengthened into a depression, increasing the chances of heavy rain and strong winds over parts of South India.

“The well-marked low-pressure area over southwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining areas of southeast Sri Lanka and Equatorial Indian Ocean intensified into a depression as of 11:30 p.m. on Nov. 26,” the weather department said. It also warned that the weather system currently lays over southwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining Sri Lanka coast.

If this weather system grows further and develops into a cyclonic storm, it will be named Cyclone Ditwah. The name was suggested by Yemen and is part of a pre-approved list created by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and the UN ESCAP Panel on Tropical Cyclones. “Ditwah” or “Detwah” refers to a well-known lagoon on the island of Socotra in Yemen.

According to the IMD, the depression is located around 170 km east of Hambantota in Sri Lanka and about 210 km south-southeast of Batticaloa.

Officials said this system has formed almost at the same time as Cyclone Senyar, which earlier moved across parts of the Bay of Bengal. Senyar has now travelled away from the region and was centred over northeast Indonesia and the Strait of Malacca as of Wednesday night.

The IMD said the depression is expected to move in a north-northwest direction over the next few hours while remaining over the southwest Bay of Bengal and nearby Sri Lanka region. It is likely to grow stronger and turn into a “deep depression” by Thursday afternoon.

If this happens, states in South India could see widespread rainfall, especially coastal regions. The IMD warned that the system may continue to intensify further as it moves toward the coasts of North Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and south Andhra Pradesh over the next two days.

The weather department also noted that these areas may experience heavy rain, rising wind speeds and rough sea conditions. Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea, as the weather is expected to remain unsafe.