Cyclone Ditwah, now positioned over coastal Sri Lanka and adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal, is set to bring intense rainfall over the delta and adjoining districts on Friday, before shifting towards north Tamil Nadu by weekend. The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) has declared a red alert for several districts on Friday and Saturday.
B. Amudha, Head (Additional in-charge), RMC, said Ditwah, meaning lagoon, a name suggested by Yemen as part of the cyclone naming convention, lies about 570 km south-southeast of Puducherry and 670 km south-southeast of Chennai. It is likely to move across Sri Lanka’s coast and adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal, and reach near the north Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and south Andhra Pradesh coasts by the early morning of November 30.
The RMC has declared a cyclonic storm as of now, based on various weather observations. “We will get more clarity on the landfall as the cyclone moves closer to the region. Rainfall intensity in various districts may change according to the cyclone’s position and movement,” Ms. Amudha said.
