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Storm expected to trigger heavy to extremely heavy rain across much of southern India
Stuti Mishra,Shweta SharmaSaturday 29 November 2025 12:30 GMTComments
CloseMore than 40 dead as heavy rains trigger landslides and floods across Sri Lanka
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A red alert has been issued for some coastal Indian states set to be slammed by powerful Cyclone Ditwah, which has left 123 people dead and at least 130 missing in Sri Lanka.
Cyclone Ditwah formed off Sri Lanka’s east coast and pounded the South Asian island nation on Wednesday, causing massive destruction. It was upgraded to a cyclonic storm by the India Meteorological Department on Thursday.
Sri Lankan president Anura Kumara Dissanayake declared a nationwide state of emergency after the cyclone exited the island, leaving a trail of destruction.
The regulation was made public on Saturday to allow faster mobilisation of military, police and health services to provide relief and rescue operations.
Nearly 44,000 people have been displaced and are in temporary shelters, Sri Lanka’s disaster management center said.
Disaster Management Centre (DCM) director general Sampath Kotuwegoda said they launched relief operations for thousands of people moved to state-run welfare centres after a week of rain caused flooding and landslides.
open image in galleryPeople carrying belongings wade through a flooded road after heavy rainfall in Kaduwela on the outskirts of Colombo (AFP via Getty Images)
open image in galleryA man pushes a makeshift raft along a flooded street after heavy rainfall in Ambatale on the outskirts of Colombo (AFP via Getty Images)“Relief operations with the help of the armed forces are under way,” Mr Kotuwegoda told reporters in Colombo. Days of torrential rain triggered major slope failures, swollen rivers, and widespread inundation. Badulla, Nuwara Eliya, Kandy, Batticaloa and Polonnaruwa were among the worst-hit areas, with homes buried and entire communities cut off.
Authorities said many people still remain stranded in various flood-hit areas as the water has been swelling two days after the cyclone made landfall.
Indian forecasters on Thursday said Ditwah is located southwest Bay of Bengal, just off the coast of north Sri Lanka.
It’s heading roughly toward the coast of the southern Indian city of Tamil Nadu, making landfall by early Sunday. The IMD said it is expected to cross the north Tamil Nadu coast between Cuddalore and Puducherry as a Cyclonic Storm.
open image in galleryMap from Indian Meteorological Department shows Cyclone Ditwah’s path and arrival time (IMD)It is expected to bring extremely heavy rainfall, wind speeds of 80-90kmph, and rough sea conditions to coastal Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and parts of Andhra Pradesh as it approaches the shore.
In view of the approaching storm, Tamil Nadu placed parts of the delta and northern coastal belt under a red alert, including Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, Chengalpattu and Tiruvarur.
The metropolitan city of Chennai and nearby areas were put under an orange alert for possible flooding and transport disruption. Fishermen were warned to stay ashore and people in low-lying areas were asked to prepare for potential evacuations.
Some regions in the neighbouring Karnataka state were also expected to see increased rainfall.
The weather department did not forecast a direct landfall but warned the system would pass close enough to produce damaging winds, flooding and dangerous sea conditions.
Rainfall brought by Cyclone Ditwah was forecast to continue into early December.
Indian prime minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the deaths and destruction in Sri Lanka and said India stands ready to dispatch emergency relief material.
open image in galleryChildren play at the beach ahead of Cyclone Ditwah in Chennai, India, November (REUTERS)“My heartfelt condolences to the people of Sri Lanka who have lost their loved ones due to Cyclone Ditwah. I pray for the safety, comfort and swift recovery of all affected families,” Mr Modi said.
He said India had already dispatched emergency relief material and key humanitarian assistance under Operation Sagar Bandhu, as Colombo battles the aftermath of the storm. “We stand ready to provide more aid and assistance as the situation evolves,” he added.
India dispatched two search and rescue teams, comprising 80 rescuers, and sent aid to support ongoing operations, the country's embassy in Colombo said Saturday.
open image in galleryA man carries his cat across a flooded road in Wellampitiya on the outskirts of Colombo on November 29, 2025 (AFP via Getty Images)In Sri Lanka, rainfall had eased across most of the country, including the capital, but parts of the island’s north were still experiencing showers due to the lingering effects of Cyclone Ditwah.
The government deployed the armed forces to reinforce rescue and relief work nationwide, using military helicopters and boats to evacuate stranded residents – including those trapped on treetops, rooftops and in cut-off villages.
Officials said the death toll had risen after more bodies were recovered in the worst-hit central region, where many victims were buried alive in this week’s mudslides.
Vavuniya and Mullaitivu recorded more than 300mm of rain in 24 hours, with several other places exceeding 200mm.
open image in galleryA flooded hospital after heavy rains is seen in Chilaw, north of Colombo (AP)The worst losses were reported in the central tea-growing region of Badulla, where a landslide crashed into homes overnight, killing at least 21 people, the disaster agency said in a statement.
Social media video showed houses being swept away as floodwaters surged through towns while major highways linking provinces were cut by landslides and inundation.
Sri Lanka’s weather department warned of “heavy to extremely heavy rain” in the island nation’s northern, north-central, northwestern, central provinces as well as parts of eastern and western provinces as the cyclone continued to feed moisture into the monsoon flow.
The Sri Lankan government shut schools and some public offices in the badly affected regions and deployed nearly 20,500 army personnel for search-and-rescue and relief operations.
open image in galleryA woman and child walk under a downpour in Colombo, Sri Lanka (AP)All passenger trains, except for a handful of essential services, were cancelled from 6am on Friday because tracks in multiple districts were damaged or submerged, the railway department said.
Students sitting for A-Level exams had their tests postponed due to the disruption.
open image in galleryPeople walk past a section of a highway blocked by a landslide in Badulla, Sri Lanka (AP)Sri Lanka experiences annual monsoon rains, but officials say events of this scale are rare.
The worst flooding this century occurred in 2003, when 254 people were killed and hundreds of thousands displaced.
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