Chennai weather today: IMD issues red alert as Cyclone Ditwah heads toward Tamil Nadu coast; 47 flights cancelled

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for Tamil Nadu on Sunday as Cyclone Ditwah moves toward the Tamil Nadu coast amid heavy rainfall. The Chennai Airport has cancelled 47 flights, of which 36 are domestic and 11 are international, scheduled for today, according to ANI.

If the cyclone strengthens further, additional flight cancellations are likely, it noted. Passengers scheduled to travel today have been advised to check with their airlines for updated departure timings and plan their journey accordingly, the Chennai Airport said.

According to the IMD, the cyclone, after causing severe damage in Sri Lanka, has been moving north-northwest at around 10 kmph over the past six hours and is expected to near the North Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and South Andhra Pradesh coasts by Sunday morning.

By Sunday evening, the system is forecast to pass within about 25 km of the Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coastlines.

Strong surface winds of 60–70 km ph, with gusts up to 80 km ph, are expected to affect North Coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. According to the bulletin, sea conditions will remain high, but are expected to gradually improve, becoming very rough to rough by the morning of December 1, with further improvement afterward, PTI reported, adding that fishermen have been advised to avoid going out to sea.

“It is very likely to move north-northwestwards and reach over the southwest Bay of Bengal near North Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and adjoining south Andhra Pradesh coasts by early morning of 30th November,” IMD stated yesterdayon X.

It added, “While moving north-northwestwards the cyclonic storm will be centred over the southwest Bay of Bengal within a minimum distance of 60 km, 50 km and 25km from the Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coastline by midnight of today, the 29th November, early morning and evening of tomorrow, the 30th November, respectively.”

Relief camps set up in Tamil Nadu

The Tamil Nadu government has established 6,000 relief camps across the state, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister KKSSR Ramachandran said on Saturday.

"We have placed as many camps for people to stay in the cyclone-affected areas. As of now, we have set up 6000 camps all over Tamil Nadu, but people have come in very small numbers... Rain (clouds) is now moving from Ramanathapuram district towards the coastal districts, and there is not much impact due to the rain," ANI quoted KKSSR Ramachandran as saying.

He added that 28 teams from the NDRF and SDRF have been deployed to assist civilians, saying, “We have 28 teams of both NDRF and SDRF deployed. We have asked an extra 10 teams. They are also coming through the flight now. We have also asked the Coast Guard for help if any disaster happens.”

Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin carried out field inspections in the affected regions and visited the State Disaster Force control room in Chennai. Cyclone Ditwah, forecasted to hit Tamil Nadu and Puducherry on Sunday evening, has claimed 123 lives in Sri Lanka, with 130 others reported missing.

According to the Disaster Management Centre (DMC), the severe weather has damaged nearly 15,000 homes nationwide, forcing around 44,000 people to seek refuge in state-run temporary shelters.