Thiruvananthapuram: Flight operations between Colombo and several global hubs were disrupted early Friday as Cyclone Ditwah triggered severe weather over Sri Lanka, forcing four international flights to make emergency landings at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport.
Airport authorities confirmed that the diversions were executed due to adverse conditions caused by the cyclonic system hovering over the Southwest Bay of Bengal.
The diverted flights include:
- Etihad Airways EY394D (A321) from Abu Dhabi to Colombo, landed at 03:44 hrs
- AirAsia AK047D (A320) from Kuala Lumpur to Colombo, landed at 04:37 hrs
- SriLankan Airlines UL226 (A330) from Dubai to Colombo, landed at 07:55 hrs
- SriLankan Airlines UL218D (A320) from Doha to Colombo, landed at 07:44 hrs
Authorities described it as a “significant operational disruption,” involving diversions from four major international airlines.
Cyclone Ditwah: Current Status
The cyclonic storm is positioned close to the Sri Lankan coastline, about:
- 80 km from Trincomalee (Sri Lanka)
- 480 km from Puducherry
- 580 km from Chennai
According to Prakhar Jain, Managing Director, Disaster Management Authority, the system has been moving at 8 km/h over the past six hours. It is expected to approach the North Tamil Nadu–Puducherry–South Andhra coastal stretch by November 30.
“Due to its impact, heavy rainfall is likely across Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema tomorrow and the day after,” Jain said, adding that fishermen should avoid venturing into the sea while farmers must take precautionary measures.
IMD Issues Orange Alert
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for:
- North Tamil Nadu
- Puducherry
- South Andhra Pradesh coast
The weather agency warned of extremely heavy rainfall, strong winds, and widespread disruption as the storm intensifies while moving north–northwestward over Sri Lanka and the adjoining Bay of Bengal.
