159 people dead and more than 200 missing: Cyclone Ditwah heads to Tamil Nadu after wreaking havoc in Sri Lanka

CHENNAI: Cyclone Ditwah, which caused massive damage and loss of life in Sri Lanka, is heading towards the Tamil Nadu and Andhra coasts. There are concerns that the cyclone, which has left 159 people dead and more than 200 missing in Sri Lanka, will wreak widespread havoc in Tamil Nadu. Ditwah will reach within fifty kilometers of the Tamil Nadu coast this morning. It will touch the coast today itself. Coastal areas of Nagapattinam, Thiruvarur, and Mayiladuthurai have been submerged in water due to the preceding torrential rain. There has been extensive damage to crops. Train services to Rameshwaram have been suspended. Chennai and other cities are at risk of flooding. Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry are on red alert. Winds will reach speeds of 70-80 kmph. NDRF teams have been deployed to deal with the emergency. There is a possibility of heavy thunderstorms and rain in southern Indian states, including Kerala.

State of emergency in Sri Lanka

• The Sri Lankan government, which declared a state of emergency, has requested international assistance.
• 78,000 people have been evacuated to safer places. 3,73,000 people have been affected by the cyclone. 15,000 houses have been destroyed.
• India has launched a relief mission called 'Operation Sagar Bandhu'. Relief supplies have been sent in by the Navy's aircraft carriers INS Vikrant and INS Udayagiri.
• Around 300 passengers who travelled from Dubai to India via Sri Lanka are stranded at Colombo airport. Flights to Chennai have been cancelled.

Ditwah

The name refers to the Ditwah Lagoon on the island of Socotra, Yemen. The name is part of a pre-approved list created by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and the UN ESCAP Panel on Tropical Cyclones.