Another cyclone in just 24 hours: Ditwah nears coast, Odisha farmers fear crop loss

A new cyclonic system has formed over the Bay of Bengal, marking the second cyclone in just two days. Cyclone Ditwah, currently centred near the Sri Lanka coast, is now moving towards South India. It is expected to reach the North Tamil Nadu–Puducherry coast by the evening of November 30.

Under its influence, heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely over several parts of South India. Although Odisha is expected to experience minimal impact from the cyclone, farmers in the state are hastily harvesting their crops as a precaution. 

A second cyclone has formed in the Bay of Bengal within a span of just 24 hours. While Cyclone Senyar, which originated in the Malacca Strait, has already weakened into a depression, another deep depression near the Sri Lanka coast has now intensified into a cyclonic storm.

Also Read: Cyclone over Bay of Bengal: Low pressure forms near Sri Lanka; IMD yet to assess impact on Odisha

Named Cyclone Ditwah, the system is currently located about 700 km south-southeast of Chennai and 610 km from Puducherry. It is moving in a north-northwest direction and is expected to reach the north Tamil Nadu–Puducherry–south Andhra Pradesh coast by November 30.

Cyclone Senyar had no impact on India or Odisha. As for Cyclone Ditwah, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted that its effects will be felt mainly in Sri Lanka, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and south Andhra Pradesh, where heavy rainfall is likely.

The impact on Odisha is expected to be minimal. However, cloudy weather may prevail over south and coastal Odisha due to the system’s peripheral influence.

"The cyclone will have a parallel movement from Sri Lanka coast towards South Andhra Pradesh and North Tamil Nadu. It is most likely affect Chennai and Puducherry. Some parts of Malkangiri and Koraput are likely to experience moderate rainfall by December 1-2," said meteorologist Biswajit Sahu.

Around a month ago, heavy rainfall triggered by Cyclone Montha had lashed several parts of Odisha, severely affecting agricultural activities. Although Cyclone Ditwah is expected to have minimal impact on Odisha’s weather, farmers have grown anxious once again.

This situation is particularly visible in the Pipili and Konark areas of Puri district. Fearing possible rainfall, farmers are hastily harvesting their paddy crops. Some are using machines to cut paddy from the fields, while others are carrying harvested paddy home manually. A similar scene is being witnessed in Laxmipur of Koraput district.

"Our paddy crop will be destroyed due to the rain induced by low pressure like the last year. That is why we are cutting our crop in a desperate manner. We are harvesting both by machine and manually," said a farmer in Pipili.

"We have cut paddy crop from around one acre of land. However, we are facing problems to take it from the land for harvest. We are feeling helpless," said a farmer from Konark.

Even though no rainfall is forecast in the State for the next seven days, winter conditions have made a comeback.  As many as six places in Odisha have recorded temperatures below 10°C. As per the prediction by the IMD regional centre in Bhubaneswar,  night-time minimum temperature is likely to drop by two to three degrees over the next two days.