Chennai, Oct 22:
The India Meteorological Department has issued a warning for very heavy rainfall in 17 districts of Tamil Nadu on Thursday as the northeast monsoon intensifies over the State.
The districts likely to receive very heavy rain are Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli, Kanniyakumari, Theni, Tenkasi, Ramanathapuram, Dindigul, Virudhunagar, Madurai, Coimbatore, the Nilgiris, Sivaganga, Pudukkottai, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam and Mayiladuthurai.
Heavy rainfall is also likely in Tiruchy, Erode, Ariyalur, Perambalur, Cuddalore, Villupuram, Tiruppur, Karur and Namakkal districts.
The weather department has forecast moderate rain accompanied by thunderstorms and strong winds in many other parts of Tamil Nadu.
The warning comes amid the formation of a low-pressure area over the southwest Bay of Bengal, off the Tamil Nadu coast. The system is expected to bring widespread rainfall, particularly to coastal and delta districts.