Cyclonic storm Ditwah, which is getting stronger over the southwest Bay of Bengal, has led
the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to issue a red alert for north Tamil Nadu,
Puducherry, and parts of south Andhra Pradesh. The cyclone is moving slowly at about 7 kmph
and is expected to come as close as 25 km from Chennai’s coast early Sunday.
Before moving toward India, the storm caused major destruction in Sri Lanka, where more than
150 people have died and nearly 200 people are missing.
As a safety measure, Puducherry has ordered all liquor shops to close by 8 p.m. Air India has
also warned passengers that flights may be delayed or disrupted because of heavy rain and
strong winds.
The IMD has predicted heavy rainfall across Andhra Pradesh from November 30 to December 3.
Due to worsening weather conditions, Chennai Airport has cancelled 47 flights for
Sunday — 36 domestic and 11 international.