Chennai: The Meteorological Department has issued a cyclone alert in Tamil Nadu as heavy rains pounded several parts of the state following a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal which intensified on Saturday.


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As rains lashed many places here since yesterday, the Met office has predicted more downpour and thundershowers for the state.


According to media reports, the current environmental condition and numerical weather prediction (NWP) models suggested that the system is likely to worsen. The entire state has been put on high alert, reports added.


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Meanwhile, most of the schools and colleges in Chennai have been shut in view of heavy rainfall in the coastal districts of the state, as per reports.


"Depression is 300km south-east from Puducherry coast; likely to move north-west," ANI quoted SR Ramanan (Director, Regional Meteorological Centre, Chennai) as saying.


He further said, "Next 12 hours we expect it to become deep depression which may possibly result in a cyclone storm later."


Fishermen in Tamil Nadu have been advised not to venture out to sea in the next 24 to 48 hours "as the sea will be rough to very rough," the official said.


Quilandy in Kozhikode district received highest rainfall during the last 48 hours recording 13 cms, while Papanasam in Tirunelveli district in Tamil Nadu and Karkala in Udupi district of Karnataka recorded five centimeters each.


“For Chennai city and its neighbourhood, sky conditions were expected to be cloudy. Rain or thundershowers may occur over the next 24-48 hours,” a Met office bulletin had said.


Moreover, the current wet spell in southern states under the influence of active North East Monsoon would continue as the Met office had earlier forecasted that the thundershowers in several parts of southern states, especially in coastal Tamil Nadu will remain for the next few days.