Rising fury in the Bay—Cyclone Ditwah highlights growing intensity in region

Having wreaked havoc over Sri Lanka, cyclonic storm Ditwah is moving toward the Indian coastline, according to the IMD. It grew out of a deep depression near the Sri Lanka coast and is expected to reach north Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and south Andhra Pradesh Saturday early morning.

The IMD has issued alerts for vulnerable stretches.

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Ditwah is said to be one of its worst weather-related disasters in Sri Lanka in recent years. Several persons were killed following floods and landslides triggered by heavy rains, again making evident the increasing intensity of cyclones in the Bay of Bengal

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed heartfelt condolences and assured continued support as India dispatched urgent humanitarian aid under Operation Sagar Bandhu.

The gesture, rooted in India’s Neighbourhood First policy and Vision MAHASAGAR, includes relief materials and disaster-response assistance, with the government saying it remains ready to provide further help depending on how the situation unfolds.

According to experts, cyclones in the Bay of Bengal are becoming more intense—a trend linked to warming sea surface temperatures and higher atmospheric moisture. While overall cyclone frequency may be unchanged, individual systems seem to be packing in more destructive potential.

Climate change is amplifying cyclones, making them more intense storms with altered tracks, resulting in increased risks for coastal areas and economies, they add.

Ditwah is the third back-to-back major cyclone in the Bay of Bengal this year. It followed Montha in late October and Senyar in late November and reinforces the trend of increasingly powerful storms.

The post-monsoon period, particularly October and November, is generally cyclone-prone due to lingering ocean heat and low vertical wind shear.

Incidentally, the season’s first cyclone Shakti in October intensified into a severe cyclone southwest of Gujarat. It was formed over the east-central Arabian Sea with wind speed peaking to around 130−135 kmph.