The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Sunday said that Cyclone Ditwah is moving northwards along the Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coast. As of 11:30 am, the cyclone was located over the southwest Bay of Bengal, about 100 km east-southeast of Cuddalore and Puducherry, and roughly 170 km south-southeast of Chennai.

The minimum distance of the centre of the cyclone from north Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts is about 80 km.

IMD said the cyclone is expected to continue moving northwards, staying close and almost parallel to the North Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coast for the next 24 hours. By Sunday evening, it is likely to come as close as 30 km from the coastline.

The cyclonic storm is continuously monitored by the Doppler Weather Radars (DWRs) at Karaikal and Chennai.

"It 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 of 30 km from the Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coastline by evening of today, the 30th November," the release said.

Chennai is expected to have a cloudy sky with heavy to very heavy rain today, followed by light to moderate rain on 1 December. Light to moderate rainfall is expected at isolated locations across Tamil Nadu and the Puducherry-Karaikal region between December 2 to 6.

IMD has issued a major warning for fishermen not to venture into the sea along and off the Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coast, the Gulf of Mannar, Comorin coast, the southwest and west-central Bay of Bengal, and the south Andhra Pradesh coast.

Gale winds reaching 60-80 kmph, gusting to 90 kmph, are likely. Wind speeds are expected to reduce slightly on 1 December to 45-55 kmph, gusting to 65 kmph.

The IMD also issued a red alert for multiple north Tamil Nadu districts, warning of extremely heavy rain in Tiruvallur and Ranipet on Sunday. Heavy to very heavy rainfall is also expected over Chennai, Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu and Vellore, with isolated heavy rain likely in Tirupattur, Tiruvannamalai, Villupuram and Puducherry. 

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