If you were in or around Chennai this week, you know what I'm talking about. It felt like the sky just opened up and refused to close. What we were dealing with was the lingering ghost of Cyclone Ditwah—a system that, even after weakening into a depression, decided to park itself right off the north Tamil Nadu coast and unleash an absolute deluge.
Key Highlights
- ✓ A weakened remnant of Cyclone Ditwah hovered off the Tamil Nadu coast, moving at a snail's pace of just 3 km per hour.
- ✓ Unbelievable rainfall was recorded, with Ennore receiving a staggering 26 cm, Parrys 25 cm, and Ice House 22 cm.
- ✓ Tragically, four people lost their lives in storm-related incidents, and over 1,600 huts were damaged.
- ✓ A red alert for extremely heavy rainfall was issued for four northern districts: Chennai, Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu, and Tiruvallur.
- ✓ The government announced a compensation of ₹20,000 per hectare for farmers affected by crop damage.
The Storm That Wouldn't Budge
Here's the thing that made this weather event so punishing: its speed, or rather, the lack of it. According to an update from the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC), the system was creeping along at a painfully slow 3 km per hour. By Tuesday evening, it was positioned about 80 km south of Chennai and 60 km northeast of Puducherry, having stubbornly stayed put near the coast.
This sluggish, almost stationary behavior is what caused all the trouble. As weather blogger Pradeep John, also known as the Tamil Nadu Weatherman, pointed out, the system loitered near the Chennai coast for nearly 24 hours. Because it never moved north of the city’s latitude, those intense rain-bearing cloud bands just kept streaming over the same areas, again and again. It was a relentless cycle that started around Monday noon.
The IMD noted that the minimum distance between the storm's center and the coast was just about 25 to 35 km at one point. It was so close you could practically feel it breathing down the city's neck. The forecast predicted it would eventually move southwestwards and weaken into a well-marked low-pressure area by Wednesday morning, but not before leaving its mark.
A City Drenched: The Staggering Rainfall Numbers
The rainfall numbers coming out of this are just mind-boggling. We're not talking about a heavy shower; we're talking about extremely heavy, record-breaking downpours that completely swamped parts of the city. The data paints a clear picture of just how intense it was, especially in the northern and central parts of Chennai.
Leading the charts were places like Ennore, which was inundated with an incredible 26 cm of rain. Right behind were Parrys with 25 cm, Ice House with 22 cm, and both Manali New Town and Ponneri with 21 cm. To put that in perspective, that's an immense amount of water in a very short period. Several other areas like Perambur, Basin Bridge, and Red Hills saw rainfall between 14 cm and 20 cm. The city's Nungambakkam observatory alone registered 17.1 cm, a massive figure.
On average, by Tuesday morning, Chennai city had recorded 13.45 cm of rain. While South Chennai was slightly less affected, with Meenambakkam getting 8.5 cm, it's clear that the storm's persistent feeder bands targeted the city with precision. This led authorities to keep schools and colleges closed in Tiruvallur and Chennai, with schools in Chengalpattu also shut for safety.
The Human Impact and Government Response
Beyond the incredible weather stats, there's a serious human cost to a storm like this. The Minister for Revenue and Disaster Management, K.K.S.S.R. Ramachandran, confirmed the grim news that four people had lost their lives. Two of these deaths were due to electrocution, and two were caused by wall collapses—tragic reminders of the dangers that come with severe flooding and structural damage.
The impact on livelihoods and property has also been severe. A total of 1,601 huts were reported damaged by the heavy rain, and a staggering 582 head of cattle perished. To ensure public safety, authorities evacuated 3,534 people from vulnerable areas, providing them shelter in 54 different relief camps. These numbers show just how disruptive and dangerous the situation became for many families.
Support for Farmers in a Time of Crisis
The agricultural sector has taken a massive hit. Initial assessments revealed that the rain damaged agricultural crops on about 4,235 hectares and horticultural crops on another 345 hectares. Even more worrying is the rough estimate that nearly 85,500 hectares of farmland were completely inundated by water, spelling disaster for countless farmers.
In response, the Tamil Nadu government has stepped in. Following an order from Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to assess the damage, Minister Ramachandran announced that farmers whose crops were affected by the October rains would receive a compensation of ₹20,000 per hectare. This financial aid is a critical lifeline for those whose livelihoods have been washed away by the storm.
The Forecast Ahead: Where Does the Rain Go Now?
So, what's next? The good news for Chennai is that the worst seems to be over. As the system weakens and finally starts to drift inland, the main rain belt is expected to shift westwards. The RMC forecast suggests that Chennai and its neighboring districts will likely only see light to moderate rainfall on Wednesday.
The focus of the heavy rainfall is now moving towards the western parts of the state. Districts like the Nilgiris, Erode, and Coimbatore are now on alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall in isolated areas. Other places, including Theni, Dindigul, Tiruppur, and Salem, could also receive heavy rains. It seems the remnant of Ditwah isn't quite done with Tamil Nadu yet, it's just changing its target.
Conclusion
The last few days have been a powerful reminder of nature's force. The remnant of Cyclone Ditwah may not have had the wind speeds of a full-blown cyclone, but its slow, stubborn refusal to move on created a rain event that will be remembered for a long time. From the record-breaking downpours that swamped Chennai to the heartbreaking loss of life and livelihoods, its impact was profound. As the weather system finally moves on, the focus shifts to recovery and rebuilding, especially for the farmers and families hit the hardest.
