Cyclone Ditwah: Heavy rain, red alert in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry; Chennai flights cancelled

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued warnings for several districts of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, including Chennai, as Cyclone Ditwah moves closer to the east coast.

Residents are urged to stay cautious as the cyclone brings heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, and lightning.

Chennai Airport cancels 47 flights

Chennai Airport has cancelled 47 flights scheduled for Sunday, November 30, due to the approaching cyclone. Of these, 36 are domestic and 11 international.

Authorities warned that further cancellations could occur if the cyclone intensifies. Passengers are advised to confirm flight timings with their airlines before travelling.

Domestic and international flights affected

The cancelled domestic flights include 18 departures from Chennai to Madurai, Tiruchi, Thoothukudi, and Salem, along with 18 arrivals from these cities.

Internationally, six departures to Colombo (5) and Jaffna (1), and five arrivals from the same destinations have been cancelled. Overall, 54 flights were affected on Sunday, including departures to Madurai, Tiruchi, Thoothukudi, Salem, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Jaffna.

Airlines issue travel advisories

Air India has urged passengers to check flight status before travelling to the airport and provided 24x7 call centre support for affected travellers due to heavy rain and strong winds.

Cyclone Ditwah intensifies along the east coast

Strong winds and heavy rainfall hit Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Andhra Pradesh on Saturday. Cyclone Ditwah, which caused severe damage in Sri Lanka, is moving north-northwest at 10 km/h and is expected to reach North Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and South Andhra Pradesh by Sunday morning.

IMD predicts the cyclone will come within 25 km of the Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts by Sunday evening, with heavy to very heavy rainfall likely in Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai, Villuppuram, Chengalpattu, and the Puducherry-Karaikal region.

Yellow alert for next three hours

IMD issued a yellow alert on Sunday until 10 a.m., warning of light to moderate rain with thunderstorms and lightning in multiple districts, including Ariyalur, Chengalpattu, Chennai, Coimbatore, Cuddalore, Dindigul, Kancheepuram, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, Perambalur, Ranipet, Thanjavur, Nilgiris, Thiruvallur, Thiruvarur, Tiruppur, Tiruvannamalai, Viluppuram, Puducherry, and Karaikal.

Officials warned of waterlogging in low-lying areas and slippery roads, urging residents to stay cautious.

Impact on temples and public spaces

In Nagapattinam, continuous rain over the past three days has caused water to accumulate at the Arulmigu Vedaranyeswara Swamy Temple, including the sanctum sanctorum. Temple priest Thyagarajan said stagnant water has reduced devotees’ visits and is now being pumped out using motors.

Widespread heavy rainfall in Chengalpattu

Chengalpattu district is experiencing persistent rain and mild winds, affecting areas such as Mamallapuram, Thiruporur, Thirukazhukundram, Madurantakam, Cheyyur, and Chengalpattu town. Authorities have issued advisories and urged residents to take precautions.

Red and orange alerts, disaster response in place

Some districts of Tamil Nadu are under red alert, while others are on orange alert for heavy rainfall with thunderstorms and lightning. Disaster response teams are on standby, as continuous downpours have also submerged paddy fields, raising concerns over potential crop damage.

Cyclone Ditwah’s toll in Sri Lanka

The cyclone has already claimed 123 lives in Sri Lanka, with 130 missing, destroyed nearly 15,000 homes, and displaced 44,000 people to temporary shelters, according to the Disaster Management Centre (DMC).

With inputs from ANI, IANS