Cyclone Ditwah, strengthening over the southwest Bay of Bengal, is set to make landfall near the north Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts on November 30. The India Meteorological Department has issued red and orange alerts for coastal districts, forecasting extremely heavy rainfall and strong winds. Residents and fishermen are urged to take precautions amid expected disruptions.
Cyclone Ditwah, named by Yemen, formed in the southwest Bay of Bengal and has been moving north-northwestward over coastal Sri Lanka. As of November 28, 2025, the system intensified with powerful winds, prompting the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to issue a red alert for coastal Tamil Nadu districts including Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, and Pudukkottai on Friday. Orange alerts cover Puducherry, Karaikal, and adjoining south Andhra Pradesh coasts, with expansions to additional districts like Mayiladuthurai, Cuddalore, and Villuppuram on Saturday, and Tiruvallur, Chennai, and Chengalpattu on Sunday.
Rainfall forecasts indicate heavy to very heavy showers (64-204 mm in 24 hours) over northern Tamil Nadu until December 1, with extremely heavy spells (>204 mm) likely on November 29 and 30. On Friday, light to moderate rain is expected in south Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal, escalating to widespread rain across the state by Saturday, particularly in northern areas. Sunday will see heavy rain in districts like Tiruvallur, Chennai, and Kancheepuram, tapering to isolated light rain by December 1.
Vizag Cyclone Warning Centre Officer Jagannath Kumar noted, "Under this system, light to moderate rainfall is likely over coastal districts. The spatial distribution of rainfall is likely to increase over the coastal district over the next six days, especially in North coastal Andhra Pradesh." Chennai anticipates partly cloudy skies with possible light rain, temperatures around 30°C maximum and 25-26°C minimum.
The IMD advises fishermen not to venture into the southwest Bay of Bengal, Gulf of Mannar, Comorin area, and Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts until December 1, urging those at sea to return immediately. Farmers in Andhra Pradesh are cautioned against strong winds and heavy rain. Pre-existing waterlogging in Thoothukudi worsens with a yellow warning for thunderstorms until November 29.