Cyclone Ditwah nears Andhra, TN coast, IMD says 'not severe'

A deep depression over the southwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining Sri Lanka coast intensified into Cyclone Ditwah on Thursday and is expected to approach the north Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and south Andhra Pradesh coasts by early morning on 30 November, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

- Jayashree Nandi

The cyclone is not expected to be severe but is likely to bring heavy to extremely heavy rainfall and strong winds.

On Thursday, the cyclone lay close east of Pottuvil (Sri Lanka), about 90 km south-southeast of Batticaloa (Sri Lanka), 120 km northeast of Hambantota (Sri Lanka), 200 km south-southeast of Trincomalee (Sri Lanka), 610 km south-southeast of Puducherry and 700 km southsoutheast of Chennai.

"It is very likely to continue to move north-northwestwards across southwest Bay of Bengal & adjoining Sri Lanka coast and reach over southwest Bay of Bengal near North Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and adjoining south Andhra Pradesh coasts by early morning of 30th November," the IMD bulletin said.