Puducherry Schools Shut as Cyclone Ditwah Triggers Heavy Rainfall Warning; IMD Issues Red Alert for TN Districts

All government, government-aided, and private schools in Puducherry will remain closed today (Wednesday, December 3), following a heavy rainfall warning issued in the wake of Cyclone Ditwah. The announcement was made by Puducherry Education Minister A. Namachivayam late Tuesday.

“Due to heavy rain warning, all government and government-aided schools and private schools in Puducherry will be declared holiday tomorrow,” the minister’s statement read.

The move comes as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert for four Tamil Nadu districts — Tiruvallur, Chennai, Kancheepuram, and Chengalpattu — with intense rain bands associated with Cyclone Ditwah lashing the state. The IMD warned of heavy rainfall exceeding 15 mm per hour, moderate thunderstorms, and strong winds reaching 40–60 kmph.

Fishermen have been advised to completely suspend operations over the southwest and adjoining west-central Bay of Bengal, including areas off Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, south coastal Andhra Pradesh, north Sri Lanka, the Gulf of Mannar, and the Comorin region until Wednesday morning.

District authorities in Chennai, Tiruvallur, and Kancheepuram had earlier declared a holiday for schools and colleges on Monday as well. Chennai District Collector Roshni Siddharth Jagade announced closures for December 2, citing safety concerns amid the risk of severe rain and waterlogging. Similar directives were issued by the District Collectors of Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram.

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu’s Disaster Management Minister K.K.S.S.R. Ramachandran confirmed that three people have died in rain-related incidents linked to Cyclone Ditwah. Emergency response teams remain on high alert as the cyclone continues to impact coastal and northern parts of the state.