The India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) bulletin issued on 24 November forecasts a low-pressure system over the Bay of Bengal intensifying into a cyclonic storm within 48 hours, bringing heavy to very heavy rainfall to Tamil Nadu, Kerala and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
Airports in Chennai, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram and Port Blair have activated contingency plans. Airlines told travel-management companies to expect rolling delays and potential diversion of wide-body traffic away from Chennai during peak downpours on 24–25 November. SpiceJet and IndiGo issued waiver codes for date changes on the affected routes, while Vistara warned cargo customers of uplift restrictions.
![IMD warns of cyclonic rains—expect flight delays and ferry cancellations across South India]()
Rail and road links are also at risk. Southern Railway said it may pre-emptively cancel or short-terminate select trains if track-flood alerts exceed safe limits, echoing last year’s cyclonic disruption that stranded 8,000 passengers. Travellers heading to Kerala for MICE events should monitor local advisories; several houseboat operators in Alappuzha have suspended services.
For global mobility managers the takeaway is simple: build extra buffer into itineraries for project staff transiting through South Indian hubs this week. Insurance providers classify the event as a “known storm”, so new policies may exclude trip-cancellation cover unless purchased before 23 November.
The IMD expects the system to weaken by 28 November, but residual fog is forecast for western Uttar Pradesh and northern Maharashtra—potentially impacting early-morning departures from Delhi and Pune.
Airports in Chennai, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram and Port Blair have activated contingency plans. Airlines told travel-management companies to expect rolling delays and potential diversion of wide-body traffic away from Chennai during peak downpours on 24–25 November. SpiceJet and IndiGo issued waiver codes for date changes on the affected routes, while Vistara warned cargo customers of uplift restrictions.
Rail and road links are also at risk. Southern Railway said it may pre-emptively cancel or short-terminate select trains if track-flood alerts exceed safe limits, echoing last year’s cyclonic disruption that stranded 8,000 passengers. Travellers heading to Kerala for MICE events should monitor local advisories; several houseboat operators in Alappuzha have suspended services.
For global mobility managers the takeaway is simple: build extra buffer into itineraries for project staff transiting through South Indian hubs this week. Insurance providers classify the event as a “known storm”, so new policies may exclude trip-cancellation cover unless purchased before 23 November.
The IMD expects the system to weaken by 28 November, but residual fog is forecast for western Uttar Pradesh and northern Maharashtra—potentially impacting early-morning departures from Delhi and Pune.
