Cyclone Ditwah: Intensifying Storm in Bay of Bengal Set to Make Landfall on Tamil Nadu Coast

The weather system situated over the southwest Bay of Bengal and adjacent Sri Lanka coast has intensified into a deep depression on Thursday. Meteorological experts predict it will further strengthen into a cyclonic storm by Thursday evening.

Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) forecasts indicate that the system will travel northwestwards through the southwest Bay and along the Sri Lankan coastline, heading toward north Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and the neighboring south Andhra Pradesh coast by Saturday.

This weather system will be designated as Cyclone Ditwah, a name provided by Yemen according to the tropical cyclone naming convention established by World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP) member nations.

South Tamil Nadu and delta districts are expected to experience heavy rainfall on Thursday, with precipitation levels increasing significantly across the entire state beginning Friday.

On Friday, delta and adjacent districts are forecasted to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall. The weather system's northward coastal movement will bring heavy rain to north Tamil Nadu districts by Saturday.

Maritime authorities have advised sailors against entering the southwest Bay of Bengal and surrounding areas until further notice.

Current forecasts show isolated light rainfall in Kanniyakumari, Thoothukudi, and Tirunelveli districts as the deep depression continues developing over oceanic waters.

Simultaneously, Cyclone Senyar, currently positioned over northeast Indonesia's coastal region and the adjacent Strait of Malacca, is expected to move eastward while maintaining its cyclonic storm intensity.