Cyclone Ditwa Exits After Killing Over a Hundred; Tamil Nadu Braces for Impact as Trees Tremble

 After creating a severe disaster situation in Sri Lanka and killing over a hundred people due to Cyclone Ditwa, the cyclone has now left Sri Lanka.

According to official statistics, over 131 people have been reported dead so far. This number is likely to increase.

However, even after the cyclone, river water levels continue to rise, and further damages due to flooding are still occurring.

A state of emergency has been declared island-wide, with regulations providing for the coordination of relief services and the acceleration of rescue operations.

Mr. Athula Karunanayake, Director General of the Department of Meteorology, stated that while Cyclone Ditwa has moved away from Sri Lanka and is heading towards the South Indian coast, its indirect effects are still expected to bring heavy rains and strong winds. 

Officials point out that the breakdown of communication systems in severely affected areas due to adverse weather conditions has hampered the assessment of the true extent of the disaster, and as a result, the death toll could further increase. Amidst massive damage to infrastructure and communication outages, relief teams are making strenuous efforts to reach those affected.
Indian channels have reported the emergence of cyclone characteristics in Tamil Nadu as follows: