Cyclone Ditwa: Red alerts across south India, 47 more flights cancelled
Flight operations in Chennai continued to be disrupted, with 47 cancellations on Sunday after 54 on Saturday. Sri Lanka has reported 153 deaths and about 200 people missing due to the storm
Cyclone Ditwa is approaching India's eastern coast after forming near Sri Lanka in the southwest Bay of Bengal, prompting red alerts in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and parts of Puducherry. Chennai and nearby coastal districts remain on high alert.
Flight operations in Chennai continued to be disrupted, with 47 cancellations on Sunday after 54 on Saturday. Sri Lanka has reported 153 deaths and about 200 people missing due to the storm, says news24bd.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the cyclone moved northward at about 5 km/h on Saturday night and is expected to track close and parallel to the Tamil Nadu–Puducherry coast, coming within 25–50 km of the shoreline before making landfall on November 30. Wind speeds are currently 70–80 km/h.
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Heavy to extremely heavy rainfall is forecast in several Tamil Nadu districts and the Puducherry–Karaikal region, with risks of flooding in low-lying areas and a possible storm surge of up to 1 metre.
Tamil Nadu has deployed 28 disaster-response teams, prepared 6,000 relief camps and received five NDRF teams in Chennai. Rail authorities have set up a dedicated war room for rapid repairs.
