Cyclone Ditwah approaching Tamil Nadu: What we know so far

Cyclone Ditwah: As per the IMD, the storm is currently moving towards south-west Bay of Bengal.

The India Meteorological Department has issued a red alert for extremely heavy rain across parts of Tamil Nadu over the next 48 hours as Cyclone Ditwah edges closer to the Indian coast after tearing through Sri Lanka.

According to IMD, the system weakened slightly after crossing Sri Lanka but remains powerful enough to produce intense rainfall and gale-force winds over north Tamil Nadu and adjoining Andhra Pradesh.

IMD said the storm is now moving across the south-west Bay of Bengal. Fishermen have been warned to stay away from the sea along the Tamil Nadu–Puducherry–Andhra coastline, as well as the southwest and west-central Bay of Bengal, until December 1. The sea is expected to remain extremely rough as bands of the system brush close to the coast.

Chennai cancelled 54 flights on Saturday amid worsening weather, and authorities have shut schools and colleges in several districts. Morning hours in the city saw light showers and thick grey skies, with officials keeping disaster-response teams on standby.

Also Read: Cyclone Ditwah death toll rises: How India’s Operation Sagar Bandhu is backing Sri Lanka

What is Cyclone Ditwah and how it formed

Ditwah began as a low-pressure system over the southwest Bay of Bengal earlier this week. Warm sea temperatures and favourable wind patterns helped it intensify into a deep depression, and eventually into a cyclonic storm. Hindustan Times reported that Ditwah strengthened quickly while skirting the Sri Lankan coast, pulling in deep moisture from the ocean and generating intense rain bands.

The system weakened slightly after passing over land in Sri Lanka, but forecasters warn it still holds the potential to unleash heavy to very heavy rain as it moves toward the Tamil Nadu–Andhra belt. Wind speeds could reach 60–80 kmph near the coast, with stronger gusts during the landfall window.

Devastation in Sri Lanka: 123 dead 

Sri Lanka on Saturday called for urgent international help as the death toll from Cyclone Ditwah’s heavy rains, floods and landslides rose to 123, with another 130 people unaccounted for, according to the country’s Disaster Management Centre. Nearly 15,000 homes have been wiped out, and around 44,000 people have been forced into government-run shelters, marking one of the island’s most devastating weather disasters in recent years.

DMC Director-General Sampath Kotuwegoda said emergency operations had been intensified with the large-scale deployment of military personnel. "We have 123 confirmed dead and another 130 missing," Kotuwegoda told reporters in Colombo.

Operation Sagar Bandhu: India steps in
Responding to the crisis, India launched Operation Sagar Bandhu — a Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief mission aimed at supporting Sri Lanka as it struggles with the aftermath of Ditwah. INS Vikrant and INS Udaygiri reached Colombo on Friday, carrying the first batch of relief material, including essential supplies, medical kits, water, tents and emergency equipment.

On Saturday, an Indian Air Force IL-76 aircraft landed in Sri Lanka with 80 National Disaster Response Force personnel, four sniffer dogs and specialised gear to aid search-and-rescue operations in affected zones.

The contingent, led by 8th Battalion Commandant P K Tiwary, flew out from Hindon Air Base with inflatable boats, hydraulic cutting and breaching tools, communication gear and medical kits, as part of India’s HADR outreach under Operation Sagar Bandhu. The deployment comes as Sri Lankan authorities warn of an “unprecedented disaster situation” amid rising river levels, severe flooding and landslides.