Rains triggered by Cyclone Ditwah continued in several parts of Tamil Nadu as it is expected to move parallel to the coastline of northern parts of the state and neighbouring Puducherry in the next 24 hours,

The death toll from floods and landslides following cyclonic rains in the Indonesian island of Sumatra has risen to 303, the head of the country's disaster mitigation agency said on Saturday, up from a previous figure of 174 dead.

India launched 'Operation Sagar Bandhu' to aid Sri Lanka following the devastation triggered by Cyclone Ditwah. Swinging into swift action, India has helped its neighbour with HADR operations, rescue and relief, to provide aid and assistance to the country.

Rescue teams in western Indonesia were battling on Monday to clear roads cut off by cyclone-induced landslides and floods, as improved weather revealed more of the scale of a disaster that has killed close to 700 people in Southeast Asia.

Cyclone Ditwah, which triggered heavy rains, floods and landslides, has caused widespread destruction in Sri Lanka, killing 334 people and displacing lakhs of others. Nearly 400 remain missing as rescue operations enter their fifth day.

The system, under close observation by Doppler Weather Radars in Karaikal and Chennai, is expected to bring further rainfall to districts including Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, Chennai, Chengalpattu and Ranipet.