Cyclone Ditwah Brings Orange Alert to Chennai and Tamil Nadu: 47 Flights Cancelled
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for Chennai and several Tamil Nadu districts, including Cuddalore, Villupuram, and Kancheepuram, as Cyclone Ditwah approaches the Tamil Nadu coast. The alert is in effect until 7 am on Sunday, with heavy rainfall expected. Chennai Airport has already cancelled 47 flights, 36 domestic and 11 international, scheduled for today. The airport warns that further cancellations are possible if the cyclone intensifies.
Passengers are advised to check with their airlines for updated departure times and plan their journeys accordingly. According to the IMD, the cyclone has been moving north-northwest at around 10 kmph over the past six hours and is expected to approach the coasts of North Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and South Andhra Pradesh by Sunday morning. By Sunday evening, it is forecast to pass within 25 km of the Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coastlines.
The IMD predicts that the cyclone will reach the southwest Bay of Bengal near North Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and adjoining south Andhra Pradesh coasts by early morning on November 30th. During its journey, the storm will be centered within a minimum distance of 60 km, 50 km, and 25 km from the Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coastline by midnight on November 29th, early morning on November 30th, and evening on November 30th, respectively.
The Tamil Nadu government has set up 6,000 relief camps across the state to accommodate people in cyclone-affected areas. As of now, the camps have seen very few visitors, despite the government's efforts. The Revenue and Disaster Management Minister, KKSSR Ramachandran, stated that 28 teams from the NDRF and SDRF have been deployed to assist civilians. He also mentioned that an additional 10 teams are on their way and that the Coast Guard has been requested for help if any disasters occur.
Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin conducted field inspections in the affected regions and visited the State Disaster Force control room in Chennai. The cyclone has caused significant damage in Sri Lanka, with 123 lives lost and 130 others reported missing. According to the Disaster Management Centre (DMC), severe weather has damaged nearly 15,000 homes nationwide, forcing around 44,000 people to seek temporary shelter.
