As the Northeast monsoon intensified across Tamil Nadu, the regional weather office on Tuesday issued heavy rainfall alert to a number of districts, while Chief Minister M K Stalin reviewed the situation with officials and directed that precautionary measures be put in place in view of the downpour.
A 'red' alert was issued for 8 districts and an orange alert for Chennai for Tuesday, even as widespread rains lashed various parts of the state, according to the Met department.
Stalin reviewed precautionary measures being undertaken in the city and its surrounding districts and the Cauvery delta districts that have been witnessing steady downpour.
A red alert was issued to Villupuram, Cuddalore, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, Tiruvallur, Thanjavur, Pudukottai and Ramanathapuram, an official from the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) said.
Similar alert was sounded for neighbouring Puducherry union territory as well.
"Heavy rain is likely in the entire north coastal belt, but extremely heavy rain is expected in the above districts," the official said.
According to him, an orange alert has been sounded for Chennai, Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Kallakurichi, Ariyalur, Perambalur, Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari.
A red alert indicates extremely heavy rain of over 20 cm in 24 hours, while an orange alert means very heavy rain of 11 cm to 20 cm. -- PTI