Indian Met. Dept. warned Sri Lanka about Cyclone Ditwah weeks in advance

Colombo, Dec. 9 (Daily Mirror) - The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) had shared information about Cyclone Ditwah with Sri Lanka as early as November 13, Indian media reports have revealed.

According to The Indian Express, the IMD first predicted the formation of a depression on November 13 and issued an alert for possible cyclogenesis on November 20. From November 23 onwards, the IMD provided three-hourly and six-hourly updates, indicating the system’s expected development around November 26. All information was reportedly shared with Sri Lankan authorities through routine channels.

Despite these early warnings, Sri Lanka faced limitations in responding. “The country does not have an elaborate evacuation mechanism that can relocate hundreds of thousands of people at short notice,” the report said. The eastern coast’s geography, combined with exceptionally high rainfall—400 mm in 24 hours over three consecutive days in a concentrated area—led to landslides, flooding, and coastal inundation, causing the majority of the cyclone-related damage.

The report also noted that Cyclone Ditwah originated in an unusual area south of Sri Lanka, which is not commonly prone to cyclones. Unlike India, Sri Lanka is less accustomed to such storms and was therefore less prepared to handle it. The cyclone moved northwards along the Sri Lankan coastline rather than over the landmass, which prolonged its impact and worsened the damage.

“Ditwah was classified as a ‘cyclonic storm,’ the second weakest of four cyclone categories based on wind speeds. Historically, very few cyclones have affected Sri Lanka, and their frequency is low,” said Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director General of the IMD.

Meanwhile, Health Minister and Cabinet Spokesman Nalinda Jayatissa rejected claims that Sri Lankan authorities had prior knowledge of the disaster. His remarks came in response to criticism from the opposition over delays in opening gates of major reservoirs during the cyclone.