A deep depression in the Bay of Bengal has intensified into Cyclone Ditwa, prompting severe weather alerts across Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Andhra Pradesh. An unidentified speaker reports that the cyclone is expected to make landfall between Puducherry and Machilipatnam around November 30. 'Wind speeds may even touch as high as 70 to 90 kilometers per hour,' the speaker notes, adding that Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has reviewed disaster preparations. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasts heavy rainfall and storm surges, with fishermen advised to stay ashore and schools likely to remain closed.
00:00Another big update. In fact, this is a developing story, a weather alert that we are bringing to you from down south.
00:05Tamil Nadu is bracing for cyclone Ditwa, a deep depression brewing in the Bay of Bengal, which has now intensified.
00:12Officially, it was classified as a cyclonic storm.
00:15Alats have been sounded across coastal districts. Marine activity is halted till December 2nd.
00:21Fishermen advise to stay ashore.
00:23In fact, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin himself has shared a high-level disaster management review.
00:28Emergency Response Forces, NDRF, SDRF, the Coastal Guard, all have been put on standby.
00:33Even special evacuation teams have been kept ready.
00:36Coastal and marine communities have been warned of the heavy rainfall, the gale winds and the potential storm surge, especially in these coastal areas.
00:44Heavy to very heavy rainfall, let us tell you, is expected in the very regions.
00:48Wind speeds may even touch as high as 70 to 90 km per hour, potentially higher as the storm, in fact, strengthens.
00:56Now, the state administration is fully prepared and it is in the preparedness mode at this point.
01:02Schools likely to remain shut, though advisories are still awaited and relief shelters are currently being ready.
01:08We'll quickly take a look at the reactions that's come into the story before we get into the depths of the very path that the cyclonic winds will be following.
01:16It is very likely to move north-northwestwards across southwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining Sri Lanka and intensely further into a cyclonic storm during the next three hours.
01:35Thereafter, it is very likely to move north-northwestwards across southwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining Sri Lanka coast towards north Tamil Nadu, Puducheri and south coastal Andhra Pradesh during subsequent 48 hours.
01:53Rainfall likely to occur over coastal districts and the extent of spatial distribution of rainfall is likely to increase over the coastal districts during the subsequent six days.
02:09Well, so this is Cyclone Duttwa that we are speaking of, viewers.
02:15It is a cyclone that is gaining power with each passing minute as we speak.
02:21We will, in fact, take you through that entire route that the cyclonic winds have, in fact, been already following and what it will be following in the upcoming days.
02:32We will, in fact, show it to you, tracking it on a special map that we have prepared for you here on India Today.
02:39Let's first tell you about the origin of this very cyclonic wind.
02:42It is Pottuville, which is roughly 700 kilometers south-southeast, and it's in Sri Lanka's coastal region.
02:50This is 700 kilometers south-southeast of Chennai.
02:53Now, if we go closer, it will, the cyclonic winds, as you can see, this is the eye that is moving.
02:59It will slowly start moving towards north-northwestward, and it will start moving towards the eastern, southeastern rather, coastal side of India.
03:09And if we talk about where it shall be hitting, or at least where the landfall is expected so far,
03:15it's between Pondicherry and Machlipatnam.
03:19These are the two areas which have been alerted.
03:22It's on high alert at this given point.
03:24And then further, as it will be moving northward, it will slowly start weakening.
03:28If you speak of the landfall itself, it's supposed to take place somewhere around November 30th.
03:33Remember, the cyclonic wind, which, in fact, started up in the Sri Lankan coastal region,
03:39it had started forming between November 26th to November 27th.
03:44It's gaining power, and wind speed may even go up to as high as 70 km per hour to 90 km per hour
03:51as it travels from this very side, taking a north-northwestward route towards Pondicherry.
03:58And it will be having landfall.
04:01Landfall will be seen between Pondicherry and Machlipatnam.
04:03These are the two areas which are currently, in fact, under alert.
04:07Chennai as well, which falls in between that particular place,
04:11has also been put under a strong orange alert,
04:15given that heavy to more heavy rainfall is, in fact,
04:20heavy to extreme heavy rainfall is, in fact, expected in this very region.
04:24But, yes, the depression right now in the Bay of Bengal
04:27is, in fact, expected to gain strength over the next few hours,
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