Cyclone Ditwah is rewriting the rulebook. While most cyclones barrel into the coastline, dump their fury, and quickly weaken, Ditwah has chosen an unusual path — one that scientists describe as “rare, unstable, and unpredictable.” Instead of heading straight towards tamil Nadu or Puducherry, the system is quietly stalking the coast, moving parallel like a dark shadow. And that, experts warn, could make it far more dangerous than a traditional landfall.
According to the india Meteorological Department (IMD), Ditwah has been drifting northwards at around 10 kmph after hovering over the southwest Bay of bengal and adjoining north Sri Lanka. But its refusal to strike land directly means one thing: continuous, prolonged rainfall. When a cyclone skirts the coastline rather than crashing into it, it pulls enormous moisture from the sea and dumps it along the coast for hours, sometimes days. This explains the red alert issued in parts of tamil Nadu, where extremely heavy rainfall may hit isolated pockets.
The real mystery lies in the timing. december cyclones are rare by themselves, but a storm that trails the coastline without committing to landfall? Even rarer. Meteorologists believe warming ocean temperatures and changing wind shear patterns might be influencing this behaviour. Some are calling Ditwah a sign of the “new normal,” where cyclones no longer follow predictable tracks.
Cities like chennai and Cuddalore are staring at what weather experts call the “parallel cyclone threat” — massive waves, strong winds, and relentless rain, all without the cyclone technically making landfall. It’s like taking all the damage of a cyclone without the benefit of it weakening quickly over land.
For fishermen, the fear is doubled. Ditwah’s erratic path makes it impossible to judge safe zones at sea. Even inland districts such as Kancheepuram, Villupuram and Tiruvallur are at risk of flash floods because the rainfall bands are wide and unstable.
If this is the future — slow-moving, parallel-running cyclones — tamil Nadu must rethink disaster planning. As Ditwah shadows the coastline, one thing is clear: the cyclone may not be hitting the land, but it is certainly hitting the system.
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