Cyclone Ditwah mapped: At least 56 dead in Sri Lanka as powerful storm tracks towards India
Cyclone Ditwah causes devastation in Sri Lanka as 56 people are killed
- Cyclone Ditwah caused widespread devastation in Sri Lanka, leading to 56 fatalities, 21 missing individuals, and affecting over 44,000 people through torrential rain, landslides, and severe flooding.
- The cyclonic storm, which originated in the Bay of Bengal, intensified the southwest monsoon, resulting in some of Sri Lanka's heaviest rainfall in years, with regions like Badulla and Colombo experiencing significant impact.
- Following its trajectory along Sri Lanka's coast, Cyclone Ditwah is projected to move towards the southern Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Andhra Pradesh by Sunday, bringing heavy to extremely heavy rainfall from Friday.
- Indian authorities have issued red and orange alerts for several areas, including parts of Tamil Nadu's delta and northern coastal belt, and Chennai, warning of potential flooding, transport disruption, and advising fishermen to remain ashore.
- Sri Lankan officials have deployed nearly 20,500 army personnel for search-and-rescue operations, closed schools and some public offices, and cancelled most passenger trains due to extensive infrastructure damage.