Cyclone Ditwah: IMD issues red alert as storm nears Tamil Nadu, Puducherry coasts, landfall likely today

Cyclone Ditwah inched closer to the coasts of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Andhra Pradesh as a red alert was sounded, bringing torrential rain to the region. The storm is moving north-northwest and is expected to approach the southwest Bay of Bengal near the north Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and south Andhra Pradesh coasts by early Sunday.

Five teams of six BN NDRF, equipped with FWR and CSSR assets, have been airlifted from Vadodara, Gujarat, to Chennai for deployment in Tamil Nadu in view of the prevailing situation.

5 teams of 6 BN NDRF, equipped with FWR & CSSR assets, have been airlifted from Vadodara, Gujarat, to Chennai for deployment in Tamil Nadu, in view of the prevailing situation due to Cyclone Ditwah

(Source: NDRF) pic.twitter.com/b00bIBoBNJ

— ANI (@ANI) November 30, 2025

According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), the cyclone was pass close to the coastline, came within 60 km by midnight, 50 km by early Sunday morning, and tightening to around 25 km by Sunday evening. Over the next 24 hours, it is expected to move almost parallel to the North Tamil Nadu–Puducherry coastline.

Sri Lanka counts human toll as flooding devastates regions

Sri Lanka declared a state of emergency on Saturday and appealed for international assistance as the death toll from floods and mudslides triggered by Cyclone Ditwah rose. Sri Lanka’s Disaster Management Centre reported 153 deaths after a week of torrential rain and the cyclone’s landfall triggered severe flooding and landslides. More than 43,900 people have been moved to government shelters. The Kelani River near Colombo burst its banks on Friday evening, prompting fresh evacuation orders.

Cyclone Ditwah has left thousands displaced, caused widespread landslides and destroyed entire regions, with rescue teams racing against time and weather to pull survivors from rooftops, trees and submerged structures. In India, heavy rainfall is forecast for southern and delta districts of Tamil Nadu, leading state authorities to move into high alert, deploy disaster response teams, prepare shelters, and review emergency measures as the region faces the second major weather system this month.