Cyclone Ditwah LIVE Updates: Rain Batters Parts of Tamil Nadu; Death Toll in Sri Lanka Tops 300

Cyclone Ditwah weakened into a deep depression on Sunday as it hovered over the southwest Bay of Bengal, around 30 km off the North Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. The system is expected to bring heavy to very heavy rain to Tiruvallur, Ranipet, Kancheepuram, Chennai, Chengalpattu and Vellore on Monday.

Isolated heavy rain is also likely in Tirupathur, Tiruvannamalai, Villupuram and Puducherry. The IMD has warned of strong winds reaching 60–70 kmph, with gusts up to 80 kmph, along the north Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts, as well as the Karaikal region.

State revenue and disaster management minister KKSSR Ramachandran said at least three people have died in rain-related incidents in Tamil Nadu.

Before approaching India, Cyclone Ditwah caused widespread devastation in Sri Lanka, killing at least 334 people and leaving nearly 370 missing. About 20,000 homes were destroyed, and more than 100,000 people were shifted to shelters. Under Operation Sagar Bandhu, the Indian Air Force has stepped up humanitarian assistance to Sri Lanka and has evacuated over 400 stranded Indians from Colombo, PTI reported.

What IMD and officials say

• IMD director general M Mahapatra said the system is unlikely to make landfall in India and will pass offshore.

• Although the wind speeds are moderate, they may damage standing crops and inundate low-lying areas, he cautioned.

• Tamil Nadu has deployed 38 disaster response teams, including SDRF and NDRF units, with an additional 10 teams from other states joining relief efforts.

• The name ‘Ditwah’, suggested by Yemen, refers to a lagoon—likely inspired by the Detwah Lagoon on the northwest coast of Socotra.