Chennai (Tamil Nadu ) [India], November 29 : As Cyclone Ditwah approached closer to the coastal region of Tamil Nadu, 47 flights scheduled for Sunday have been cancelled at Chennai Airport due to the threat of heavy rain. Of the 47 flights, 36 are domestic, and 11 are international.
If the cyclone intensifies further, more flights are expected to be cancelled. Therefore, passengers scheduled to travel tomorrow are advised to contact their respective airlines to confirm departure timings and plan their travel accordingly, Chennai Airport authorities have said.
The cancelled domestic flights include 18 departing flights from Chennai to Madurai, Tiruchi, Thoothukudi, and Salem and 18 arriving flights from the same cities to Chennai.
Among the 11 international flights, six departing flights from Chennai to Colombo (5 flights) and Jaffna (1 flight) have been cancelled, and five arriving flights, four from Colombo and one from Jaffna, have been cancelled.
On Sunday, 27 departing flights from Chennai Airport to various destinations such as Madurai, Tiruchi, Thoothukudi, Salem, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Jaffna (Sri Lanka), along with 27 arriving flights, were cancelled from early morning until midnight, taking the total to 54 flights.
Strong winds and heavy rainfall lashed the coastal regions of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Andhra Pradesh on Saturday as Cyclone Ditwah approached the shore.
The Cyclone, which wreaked havoc in Sri Lanka, has moved north-northwest at 10 kmph over the last six hours and will approach the North Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and South Andhra Pradesh coasts by Sunday morning, the IMD said on Saturday.
The cyclone will come within 25 km of the Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts on Sunday evening.
"It is very likely to move north-northwestwards and reach over the southwest Bay of Bengal near North Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and adjoining south Andhra Pradesh coasts by early morning of 30th November. While moving north-northwestwards the cyclonic storm will be centred over the southwest Bay of Bengal within a minimum distance of 60 km, 50 km and 25km from the Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coastline by midnight of today, the 29th November, early morning and evening of tomorrow, the 30th November, respectively," IMD said in a post on X.

As a precautionary measure, IMD has issued a red alert in parts of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. IMD warned of heavy to very heavy rainfall, with extremely heavy rain at isolated spots, likely over Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai, Villuppuram, Chengalpattu districts, and the Puducherry-Karaikal region.
In the Thoothukudi district of Tamil Nadu, excess water from the city and suburban areas flowed toward the Port Trust coastal zone and mixed with the sea due to heavy rainfall.
The sea there has been experiencing unusual turbulence. Marine algae and similar vegetation from the seabed are being washed ashore in significant quantities due to intensified sea activity.

Coastal areas of Nellore, Andhra Pradesh, also witnessed turbulent sea, strong winds and rainfall.
Moreover, Railway Minister Ashiwini Viashnaw on Saturday reviewed preparedness with Southern Railway to ensure minimal disruption.
"In view of Cyclone Ditwah, Hon'ble MR Ashwini Vaishnaw reviewed preparedness with Southern Railway teams to ensure minimal disruption. War Rooms at Board, zonal and divisional levels are activated. Railways is closely coordinating with civil authorities and continuously monitoring the situation until normalcy returns," Ministry of Railway said in a post on X.
Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu government has set up 6,000 camps across the state, Minister for Revenue and Disaster Management KKSSR Ramachandran said on Saturday.
"We have placed as many camps for people to stay in the cyclone-affected areas. As of now, we have set up 6000 camps all over Tamil Nadu, but people have come in very small numbers... Rain (clouds) is now moving from Ramanathapuram district towards the coastal districts, and there is not much impact due to the rain," KKSSR Ramachandran said.
The Minister further informed that 28 teams of both NDRF and SDRF have been deployed to provide relief to civilians.
"We have 28 teams of both NDRF and SDRF deployed. We have asked an extra 10 teams. They are also coming through the flight now. We have also asked the Coast Guard for help if any disaster happens," he said.
The Minister further informed that rainwater has affected the paddy cultivation in the delta districts of the Cauvery River. The Minister said that the government will also provide compensation to farmers.
"In the Delta Districts, paddy cultivation is affected due to flooding from rainwater. We expect it to drain within 2 days, and once it does, we will calculate the loss and provide compensation to farmers," he said.
In a post on X, Air India stated, "Heavy rain and strong winds resulting from Cyclone Ditwah may impact our flights operating to and from Chennai and some other cities in southern India.
"You are requested to check the status of your flights here https://airindia.com/in/en/manage/flight-status.html before proceeding to the airport. For any assistance, please contact our 24x7 Call Centre at 011-69329333 / 011-69329999," they added.
Cyclone Ditwah, which is expected to make landfall in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry on Sunday evening, has killed 123 people in Sri Lanka, with another 130 reported missing.
The extreme weather system has destroyed nearly 15,000 homes across the country, sending almost 44,000 people to state-run temporary shelters, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said on Saturday.