As Cyclone Ditwah triggers heavy rain in Tamil Nadu, here 5 top updates

Fishermen have been cautioned against venturing into the sea amid expected very rough conditions along and off Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts throughout the early hours of Sunday. It will gradually improve on December 1 and 2. A gale wind speed of 70-80 kmph, gusting to 90 kmph, is likely to prevail until the morning of the 30th, following which it is likely to decrease gradually, the IMD said.

Here is all you need to know about the cyclone

1) Why is the Cyclone named Ditwah?

The name ‘Ditwah’, meaning a lagoon, was suggested by Yemen and is likely derived from Detwah Lagoon on the northwest coast of Socotra.

2) Devastation in Sri Lanka

Cyclone Ditwah exited Sri Lanka on Saturday afternoon after unleashing severe devastation, leaving at least 153 people dead and 191 missing amid widespread floods and landslides, news agency Reuters reported. As the storm moved back over the sea, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) warned that it may see a slight intensification while continuing its north-northwestward track.

3) Heavy rainfall expected in Tamil Nadu

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast light to moderate rainfall with strong surface winds over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal area with thunderstorm and lightning.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin took stock of the situation Saturday and directed district collectors in 14 districts to take necessary measures.

Some of the areas of the state, that were hit by overnight rainfall were, Pamban – 70 mm, Nagapattinam – 60 mm, Karaikal, Tondi, Vedharanyam – 50 mm, Adiramapatinam and Nagapattinam – 30 mm.

4) IMD issues red alert

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for some coastal districts of Tamil Nadu, as well as orange alerts for people living in Puducherry, Karaikal and the adjoining parts of Andhra Pradesh.

5) Cyclone preparedness

The Tamil Nadu government has readied 28 disaster response teams, including SDRF and NDRF on standby.  As many as 10 more teams are expected to join them from other states, State Revenue and Disaster Management Minister K K S S R Ramachandran had said.

“There have been no fatalities so far, but 16 livestock have died, and 24 huts have been damaged. “There has been no major impact due to the rain so far. However, the state government is continuously monitoring the situation and has readied teams for rescue and relief operations,” PTI quoted Ramachandran as saying

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