Cyclone Ditwah continues to bring more rains to Tamil Nadu, three killed in related incidents

Chennai: Sharp showers triggered by Cyclone Ditwah continue to lash several parts of Tamil Nadu, while three persons have been killed in rain-related deaths, the state government said on Sunday.

The cyclone is expected to move parallel to the coastline of northern parts of the state and neighbouring Puducherry in the next 24 hours, the weather office said today.

With heavy rainfall pounding Cauvery delta districts in the state, Ramanathapuram and Nagapattinam districts bore the brunt.

Normal life continued to be affected in the coastal towns of Rameswaram and Nagapattinam as heavy rainfall inundated several low-lying areas.

As per the latest bulletin by the Regional Meteorological Department, the cyclone moved nearly northwards with a speed of 7 kmph and it is located about 100 km east-southeast of Cuddalore, 100 km northeast of Karaikal, 110 km southeast of Puducherry, 140 km northeast of Vedaraniyam, 160 km southeast of Puducherry and 180 km south-southeast of Chennai.

The minimum distance of the centre of the cyclone from north Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts is about 70 km, the bulletin issued by the Met Office on Sunday afternoon said.

"It is very likely to move nearly northwards parallel to North Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts during the next 24 hours. While moving northwards the cyclonic storm will be centered over southwest Bay of Bengal within a minimum distance of 60 km and 30 km from the Tamil-Nadu-Puducherry coastline by November 30," the bulletin said.

Due to the impact of the cyclone, heavy to very heavy rain in a few places and extremely heavy rainfall are likely to occur over Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai, Villupuram, Chengalpattu, Pudukkottai, Thanjavur, Thiruvarur, Ariyalur, Perambalur, Tiruchirappalli, Chennai, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur and Ranipet districts and Puducherry and Karaikal over the next 24 hours.

Strong surface winds with speed reaching 60-70 km ph gusting to 80 km ph is likely to prevail over the North Coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

Sea condition is likely to be high and it is very likely to improve gradually becoming very rough to rough by morning of December 1 and gradually improve thereafter, the bulletin said.

Fishermen are advised not to venture into the sea, it said.

The state government has kept 38 disaster response teams, including SDRF and NDRF on standby with 10 more teams from other states joined in the relief and rehabilitation work on Saturday evening, State Revenue and Disaster Management Minister K K S S R Ramachandran said.

Three people have lost their lives in rain-related incidents caused by Cyclone Ditwah, he said.

As many as 149 cattle died and 57,000 hectares of farmland have been affected in the delta districts, he added.

"Three people have lost their lives in rain-related incidents since last evening. While two persons died due to wall collapse in Tuticorin and Thanjavur, respectively, a 20-year-old youth died due to electrocution in Mayiladuthurai," he said while briefing reporters at the State Emergency Operations Centre on Sunday.

Private weather bloggers said the cyclone would weaken into a deep depression while Mayiladuthurai recorded the heavy rainfall of 140-220 mm in the last 24 hours.

"The cyclone will weaken further into a deep depression and then to a depression inching northward. It is expected that the system will stay in the open water for one more day, dissipating in the Chennai coast without making the landfall process," another private blogger said.

The name 'Ditwah' suggested by Yemen, refers to a lagoon and likely comes from Detwah Lagoon, a large saline lagoon on Socotra's northwest coast.