Cyclone Ditwah: 4 dead, thousands of homes and crops destroyed in Tamil Nadu; key points

CHENNAI: Northern Tamil Nadu continues to battle heavy rains, leaving streets waterlogged, homes damaged, and lives disrupted.

The remnants of Cyclonic Storm Ditwah over the Bay of Bengal brought overnight downpours that submerged several areas of Chennai and its northern districts, forcing residents to wade through knee-deep water.


Read also: Cyclone Ditwah Live Updates

Authorities say four people have lost their lives in rain-related incidents, while thousands of homes and acres of standing crops have been destroyed.


Key developments:

• Lives lost and damage: Four people died due to rain-related incidents. Over 1,600 huts and tenements were damaged, and 582 heads of cattle perished, highlighting the human and economic toll of the rains.
• Farmer distress: Crops on 2.11 lakh acres were destroyed. The government announced relief of Rs 20,000 per hectare to help farmers recover from the devastating losses.
• Chennai submerged: Many parts of the city, including Vyasarpadi, Perambur, Ashok Nagar, Velachery, T Nagar, and Saidapet, experienced knee-deep water, leaving residents struggling to move and traffic at a standstill.
• Weather outlook: According to the IMD, the deep depression has weakened and is likely to further weaken into a well-marked low-pressure area. Heavy to very heavy rains are expected in several districts, including Nilgiris, on Wednesday.
• Relief in action: Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin inspected the city’s command centre, where over 22,000 personnel have been deployed to clear drains, remove fallen trees, and bail out water from flooded areas.
• Local incidents: In Chetpet, a parked car was damaged when a wall collapsed overnight, while strong winds caused branches to fall across the city, adding to residents’ woes.
• Rainfall extremes: Ennore recorded the highest rainfall at 26 cm, while Pallikaranai received 10.5 cm over 24 hours, showing the uneven intensity of the storm.

The city and surrounding districts remain on alert as authorities work to drain waterlogged areas and provide relief to affected residents, while people brace for another day of heavy showers.

Cyclone Ditwah, which weakened into a deep depression on Tuesday, lingered off the Chennai coast causing persistent rainfall before taking a U-turn over the Bay of Bengal.

By midnight, it moved southwestwards to make landfall between Kalpakkam and Puducherry. Experts say the system is set to weaken further into a depression and eventually become a well-marked low-pressure area.

Weather experts forecast rainfall in Chennai until Wednesday noon. Districts including Chengalpet, Kancheepuram, Vellore, and Tiruvannamalai are also likely to receive rain as the low-pressure area moves inland.

“We can see clouds intensifying in Tiruvallur and North Chennai areas. Chances of rain in Chennai and other districts cannot be ruled out as long as there is circulation in the system,” said private weather blogger Pradeep John. The IMD has warned of heavy rain in isolated areas over north coastal Tamil Nadu.

On Tuesday morning, rain lashed several parts of the city and suburbs, though the spells were less intense compared to Monday.

The IMD said the centre of the depression was 25 km off the coast, lying 80 km southeast of Chennai at 5.30 pm. Moving slowly at 3 kmph, the system remained alive and capable of forming new clouds, prolonging rainfall in the city.

Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin inspected the city’s command centre, where over 22,000 personnel have been deployed to clear drains, remove fallen trees, and bail out water from flooded areas. In Chetpet, a parked car was damaged when a house wall collapsed overnight, while strong winds caused branches to fall across the city, adding to residents’ woes.






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