Rain triggered by Cyclone Ditwah lashed several districts of Tamil Nadu as Indian coasts braced for the storm’s impact, which is expected to make landfall today after wreaking havoc in Sri Lanka.
Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, accompanied by Tamil Nadu Revenue Minister KKSSR Ramachandran, conducted field inspections in the affected areas and at the state disaster force control room in Chennai. Yesterday, Chief Minister MK Staling also conducted inspections amid heavy rainfall.
IMD shared an update on the movement of Cyclone Ditwah during the early hours of Sunday, November 30 as it continued to track close to the Tamil Nadu–Puducherry coastline. At 2:25 AM on Sunday morning, IMD stated that the cyclone “moved nearly northwards with the speed of 05 kmph during past 6 hours and lay centered at 2330 hrs IST of yesterday, the 29th November 2025 over southwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining North Tamil Nadu- Puducherry coasts, near latitude 10.7°N and longitude 80.6°E, about 90 km east-northeast of Vedaranniyam (India), 90 km east-southeast of Karaikal (India), 130 km north-northeast of Jaffna (Sri Lanka), 160 km south-southeast of Puducherry (India) and 260 km south of Chennai (India).”
It further said that the cyclone is very likely to move nearly northwards parallel to North Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts during next 24 hours.
“While moving northwards the cyclonic storm will be centered over southwest Bay of Bengal within a minimum distance 50 km and 25 km from the Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coastline by early morning and evening of today, the 30th November respectively,” IMD added.
The Cyclonic Storm Ditwah [Pronunciation: Ditwah] over southwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining north Sri Lanka & Tamil Nadu coasts moved nearly northwards with the speed of 05 kmph during past 6 hours and lay centered at 2330 hrs IST of yesterday, the 29th November 2025 over… pic.twitter.com/6Zu6iEs1jC
— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) November 29, 2025
According to weather forecasts, northern parts of Tamil Nadu are likely to receive heavy rainfall until noon on November 30, due to the influence of a cyclonic system. Over the past two days, Nagapattinam district has alone logged 30 cm of rain. Puducherry has also been hit by intense showers and strong winds as Cyclone Ditwah moves closer, pushing up tides and impacting coastal stretches.
Amid the worsening weather, authorities have deployed 16 teams of the State Disaster Response Force along with 12 NDRF units for relief and rescue work. The Deputy Chief Minister said that 10 more NDRF teams are en route to the state.
In addition, five teams from the 6 BN NDRF, equipped with FWR and CSSR capabilities, have been flown from Vadodara, Gujarat, to Chennai for immediate deployment in Tamil Nadu in light of the situation triggered by Cyclone Ditwah.
5 teams of 6 BN NDRF, equipped with FWR & CSSR assets, have been airlifted from Vadodara, Gujarat, to Chennai for deployment in Tamil Nadu, in view of the prevailing situation due to Cyclone Ditwah
(Source: NDRF) pic.twitter.com/b00bIBoBNJ
— ANI (@ANI) November 30, 2025
Authorities have warned fishermen against venturing into the sea today and tomorrow, citing dangerous conditions. Nearly 20,000 hectares of land are currently under water, and officials are carrying out assessment and restoration efforts across the affected areas.
To address emergency food needs, the government has readied five lakh rice packets, which is sufficient to cater to five lakh families.
The Deputy CM appealed to residents to remain indoors unless absolutely necessary, given the heavy rainfall forecast for the northern districts, and urged the public to cooperate with ongoing government measures.