Cyclone Ditwah disrupts Tamil Nadu as flights cancelled, colleges closed

Mangalore Today News Network

Chennai, Nov 29, 2025: With Cyclone Ditwah steadily advancing towards the north Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts, authorities have stepped up preparedness on multiple fronts, from large-scale relief operations to flight cancellations and district-wide holiday notifications for schools and colleges. 

The system, currently moving across coastal Sri Lanka and the adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal, continues to intensify, prompting an orange alert across several regions. The death count rose to 69, with an additional 34 people still reported missing in Sri Lanka.

Cyclone’s Current Position And IMD Forecast

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Cyclone Ditwah over coastal Sri Lanka and adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal moved north-northwestwards with the speed of 8 kmph during past 6 hours and lay centered at 05:30 am today over the southwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining north Sri Lanka.

It lay approximately:

* 300 km south-southeast of Puducherry
* 400 km south of Chennai

The Cyclonic Storm Ditwah [Pronunciation: Ditwah] over coastal Sri Lanka and adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal moved north-northwestwards with the speed of 8 kmph during past 6 hours and lay centered at 0530 hrs IST of today, the 29th November 2025 over the southwest Bay of… pic.twitter.com/xa2S8fg9rQ

— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) November 29, 2025

The IMD said the cyclone will very likely to continue to move north-northwestwards and reach over southwest Bay of Bengal near North Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and adjoining south Andhra Pradesh coasts by early morning on Sunday.

Wind speeds along the coast are currently 50-60 kmph, gusting to 70 kmph. Winds are expected to strengthen significantly, peaking at gale-force speeds of 70-80 kmph (gusting up to 90 kmph) between Saturday morning and the morning of Sunday. Conditions will then ease, returning to 50-60 kmph squally winds by December 1. The sea is currently rough to very rough and is forecast to escalate to very rough to high until Sunday.

Chennai Airport Cancels 54 Flights

Chennai Airport authorities have cancelled 54 scheduled flights in view of the cyclone’s approach and the IMD’s forecast of extremely heavy rainfall and strong winds over the next 48 hours.

The suspended services include ATR-type regional turboprop flights scheduled between Saturday morning and night. Flights to destinations such as Madurai, Tiruchirappalli, Thoothukudi, Salem, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Jaffna have been affected.

Both departures and arrivals have been cancelled, and airlines have advised passengers to avoid last-minute travel to the airport. Airport officials said the decision was taken after assessing the risks posed by cyclonic winds and heavy downpour.

Severe Rainfall Warning Across Tamil Nadu

The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) has warned of very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall across several districts as Cyclone Ditwah intensifies.

According to official notifications, schools and colleges are closed today in Perambalur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai, Cuddalore, Kallakurichi, Pudukottai, Puducherry and Karaikal.

In Villupuram, Thanjavur and Tiruchi districts, only schools have been declared a holiday, while colleges will continue to operate unless further instructions are issued.

The Pondicherry Central University announced that all exams scheduled to be held on Saturday have been postponed and a holiday was declared for all classes at the university because of Cyclone Ditwah. A release from the Registrar of the University on Friday night said that the postponement of examinations and also cancellation of classes were due to a communication received from the Coast Guard about the cyclone and the heavy rains.

Chennai and adjoining districts have been placed under warnings for intense rain and gusty winds. The RMC expects:

* Very heavy to extremely heavy spells in Chengalpattu, Villupuram, Cuddalore and Mayiladuthurai
* Intense rainfall in Chennai, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, Ranipet and Tiruvannamalai
* Heavy to very heavy rain in Salem, Kallakurichi, Perambalur, Tiruchi and Ariyalur
* Intense spells across delta districts like Thanjavur, Pudukottai, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam
* Heavy rainfall in Vellore, Tirupathur, Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Namakkal and Karur

State Advisory 

District administrations have urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel, stay clear of waterlogged areas and continuously monitor official updates.

Cyclonic Storm DITWAH Alert ⚠️

North Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and the beaches of South Andhra Pradesh are under cyclone watch as Cyclonic Storm DITWAH moves north-northwest across Sri Lanka and the southwest Bay of Bengal. The system is expected to cross near the coast by early… pic.twitter.com/xf1shIkeed

— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) November 28, 2025

Fishermen have been strictly warned against venturing into the sea due to rough conditions and strong winds along the coast. 

Fishermen in Thanjavur’s coastal areas have anchored their boats safely due to Cyclone Ditwah. Around 1,500 mechanised boat operators and over 2,000 country boat fishermen have secured their vessels along the shores.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin also held consultations with the District Collectors of 14 districts regarding precautionary measures following Cyclone Ditwah on Friday.

A total of 16 State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams and 12 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have been positioned in Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu, Chennai, Vellore, Ranipet, Tiruvannamalai, Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Pudukkottai, Mayiladuthurai, Cuddalore, Villupuram, Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi, according to an official release.

Tourists have been asked not to visit Dhanushokodi on the south-eastern tip of Pamban Island, which is west of Talaimannar in Sri Lanka, as a precaution. The town was destroyed in the 1964 cyclone in Rameswaram.