Cyclone Ditwah: What the Name Means and When Will it Hit Tamil Nadu's Chennai

The cyclonic storm "Ditwah", which is expected to make landfall on November 30, carries a name that means "lagoon", suggested by Yemen under the regional cyclone naming system. The name refers to the Detwah Lagoon on Yemen’s Socotra Island, known for its distinct coastal ecosystem. It is part of a pre-approved list maintained by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and the UN ESCAP Panel on Tropical Cyclones.Where the Cyclone Is NowAccording to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Ditwah is currently positioned over coastal Sri Lanka and the adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal. As of early Friday, it was centred near latitude 8.2°N and longitude 81.1°E, about 50 km southwest of Trincomalee and 540 km south of Chennai.The system has

been moving north-northwest at around 7–10 kmph and is likely to reach near the North Tamil Nadu–Puducherry–south Andhra Pradesh coasts by the early hours of November 30. This is the third cyclone to form in the Bay of Bengal after the October–November monsoon season.

IMD Issues Rainfall AlertsThe IMD has warned of heavy to very heavy rainfall across Tamil Nadu through November 30, with isolated extremely heavy showers likely in some districts. Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Rayalaseema, and Yanam are also expected to receive heavy to very heavy rain on November 30.Kerala, Mahe, South Interior Karnataka, and Telangana may see isolated heavy rainfall along with thunderstorms and lightning over the next few days.

Cyclone Ditwah Kills 46 in Sri Lanka

Cyclone Ditwah has already caused significant damage in Sri Lanka. Officials said 46 people were killed and 23 remain missing as landslides and flooding hit several regions following rainfall exceeding 300 mm in 24 hours, reports Reuters. More than 43,000 people have been moved to public shelters, and schools and train services have been suspended. The Colombo Stock Exchange halted trading early as torrential rain continued.Emergency teams are struggling to reach some affected villages due to blocked roads. Authorities said flights to Colombo may be diverted to Trivandrum or Cochin if conditions deteriorate further, with several services already rerouted on Friday.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCaumfVSFdA

Tamil Nadu Steps Up PreparednessIn Tamil Nadu, NDRF teams have been deployed across multiple districts in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry as a precaution, following requests from state disaster management authorities.The IMD’s Chennai centre said the storm is likely to continue moving north-northwest across Sri Lanka and into the Bay of Bengal before approaching the Indian coast on November 30.