Cyclone Ditwah closing in; IMD warns Tamil Nadu, Puducherry with orange alert

As Cyclonic Storm Ditwah advances towards the north Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts, authorities across the region have stepped up preparedness measures following an orange alert issued by the India Meteorological Department.

The IMD said the cyclone moved north-northwestwards at 7 kilometres per hour over the past 6 hours and, as of late Friday night, was centred over coastal Sri Lanka and the adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal. The weather system is expected to continue moving in the same direction before emerging into the Bay waters and reaching near the north Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and adjoining south Andhra Pradesh coasts by the early hours of November 30.

In view of the forecast, the Villupuram district administration has intensified precautionary steps. District Collector Sheikh Abdul Rahman announced the closure of all schools on Saturday due to the possibility of heavy rainfall. He said 103 locations in the district have been identified as vulnerable, with 55 rescue boats and 253 JCB machines kept on standby. Authorities have also readied thousands of electric poles due to the risk of damage, while teams from the National Disaster Response Force are being deployed.

ALSO READ: Cold wave tightens grip on Odisha; 6 places record temperature below 10 deg C

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka continues to reel under severe weather conditions, with the death toll from Cyclone Ditwah rising to 69, while 34 people remain missing. India has launched Operation Sagar Bandhu to provide humanitarian assistance to the island nation.