- Cyclone Ditwah nears Tamil Nadu and Puducherry with extremely heavy rain forecast but no landfall expected
- The cyclone will likely weaken and move northwards parallel to the coast without landfall
- Red alert issued for Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Andhra Pradesh due to heavy rainfall risk
Extremely heavy rain is expected in multiple districts of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry as Cyclone Ditwah inches closer to the eastern coastline. The cyclone is not expected to make landfall. Instead, it may weaken over the next few hours and move northwards parallel to the Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts.
Heavy to very heavy rainfall is also expected at isolated places in South Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema districts, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
A red alert is already in place in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Andhra Pradesh.
Follow Cyclone Ditwah LIVE Updates
Weather Agency's Latest Update
The cyclone is centred over the Southwest Bay of Bengal, about 50 km from the Tamil Nadu coast, and will move closer by the evening. The windspeed, however, will likely decrease from 90 kmph in the morning to 55-65 kmph in the evening.
Heavy Rainfall Warning For Several Districts
The weather body has forecast extremely heavy rain in a few places in Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Mayilduthurai, Villupuram, and Chengalpattu districts of Tamil Nadu, besides Puducherry and Karaikal.
Heavy rain is also expected in Chennai, Pudukkottai, Ariyalur, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Perambalur, Trichy, Salem, Kallakurichi, Tiruvannamalai, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, and Ranipet districts of Tamil Nadu.
Read | Sri Lanka Declares Emergency As Cyclone Ditwah Death Count Hits 132
Potential Damage
Authorities expect damage to thatched houses, power and communication lines, and treefalls due to the cyclone. It may also lead to flooding of farmlands and low-lying areas.
