TNI Bureau: Cyclone Ditwah has weakened into a deep depression and is moving slowly northward along the Tamil Nadu–Puducherry coast, the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) said on Sunday night. By the morning of December 1, the system is expected to lie over the southwest Bay of Bengal, close to the North Tamil Nadu and Puducherry shoreline.
According to the RMC, the system was last located about 80 km east of Cuddalore, 90 km east-southeast of Puducherry, and around 140 km southeast of Chennai. It is moving at around 5 kmph and will likely weaken further into a depression on Monday morning.
Rainfall is expected to continue in parts of the state. Light to moderate rain may occur at isolated places across Tamil Nadu and Puducherry on Monday, with thunderstorms and lightning in some areas. Tiruvallur district is likely to receive heavy rain. Private weather bloggers also noted that Chennai, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Ranipet and Tiruvallur may get additional showers as the system moves closer to the coast overnight.
Earlier, heavy rain affected several districts, especially in the Cauvery delta region. Ramanathapuram and Nagapattinam saw widespread waterlogging, and normal life in coastal towns such as Rameswaram and Nagapattinam was disrupted. The state reported three rain-related deaths, including two due to wall collapse and one caused by electrocution. Officials said around 149 livestock deaths were recorded, and nearly 57,000 hectares of farmland were damaged.
The weather office has forecast heavy to very heavy rain in Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu, Ranipet and Vellore in the next 24 hours. Strong winds reaching 60–70 kmph and gusting up to 80 kmph are expected along the North Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts. Sea conditions will remain dangerous, and fishermen have been advised not to venture out.
Disaster response teams from the state, SDRF and NDRF have been positioned across vulnerable areas. Additional teams from other states have also joined relief work.
Southern Railway said it has increased preparedness to ensure the safety of passengers, staff and infrastructure, especially in Chennai, Madurai and Tiruchirapalli divisions. Round-the-clock monitoring has been put in place due to the expected strong winds and heavy rain.
The name “Ditwah,” given by Yemen, refers to a lagoon, likely inspired by the Detwah Lagoon on the northwest coast of Socotra.