Cyclone Ditwah moving towards Tamil Nadu, landfall in 48 hours, state on alert

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an Orange Alert as Cyclonic Storm Ditwah intensifies over coastal Sri Lanka and the southwest Bay of Bengal. 

The system, moving steadily in a north–northwestward direction, is expected to reach the southwest Bay of Bengal near the North Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and South Andhra Pradesh coasts by the early hours of November 30, 2025.

Fishermen have been pulled off large stretches of the Bay, multiple districts of southern states are on red or orange alert as officials said that Cyclone Ditwah's landfall timing will hinge on its shifting track over the next 24 hours.

The IMD has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall over Tamil Nadu and Puducherry through November 30, with isolated areas potentially receiving extremely heavy rainfall exceeding 20 cm. Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema may also experience extremely heavy showers on November 30 as the cyclone moves northward.

Beginning the morning of November 29, gale-force winds reaching 70–80 kmph, gusting up to 90 kmph, are expected to sweep across the North Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts. 

These winds are likely to persist until the morning of November 30, posing risks to power and communication infrastructure.