Tamil Nadu and Puducherry reel under Cyclone Ditwah fury! Streets flooded, red alert issued

Heavy rains lashed parts of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry on Sunday as Cyclone Ditwah continued to move along the Tamil Nadu–Puducherry coastline, triggering widespread disruptions, officials said.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert for north Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and adjoining south Andhra Pradesh coasts as the cyclonic storm intensified over the southwest Bay of Bengal.

According to the IMD, Ditwah “moved nearly northwards at a speed of 7 kmph over the past six hours” and remained positioned over the southwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining north Tamil Nadu–Puducherry coasts as of 5:30 am.

“It is very likely to move nearly northwards parallel to the North Tamil Nadu–Puducherry coasts during the next 24 hours. While moving northwards, the cyclonic storm will be centered over the southwest Bay of Bengal within a minimum distance of 70 km and 30 km from the Tamil Nadu–Puducherry coastline by noon and evening today,” the IMD said.

Normal life in coastal towns including Rameswaram and Nagapattinam has been severely affected, with several low-lying areas flooded due to continuous rainfall, Hindustan Times reported.

Cyclone Ditwah Ravages Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka continues to reel under the impact of Cyclone Ditwah, which has unleashed torrential rains and flooding across multiple regions.

More than 150 people have died and 130 remain missing amid the widespread devastation, authorities said.

India Sends Aid to Sri Lanka

Stepping up humanitarian support under Operation Sagar Bandhu, India dispatched additional relief supplies to Sri Lanka as the crisis deepened.

An Indian Air Force C-130J aircraft carrying nearly 12 tonnes of relief material, including tents, blankets, sanitation kits and ready-to-eat meals, landed in Colombo on Saturday.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar shared updates on X, reaffirming India’s commitment to assisting Sri Lanka.

An 80-member NDRF team—split into two rescue units and accompanied by trained search dogs—also departed from Hindon airbase aboard an IL-76 aircraft.