TN, Pondy brace for heavy rains as depression likely to escalate into deep depression

Chennai: Tamil Nadu and Puducherry are in for widespread rains with a depression over Comorin area likely to intensify into a deep depression in the next 24 hours and into a cyclonic storm later, the regional weather office said on Wednesday.

The depression lay 220 km westsouthwest of Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala and is likely to move northwestwards across Lakshadweep and intensify into a deep depression, S Balachandran, Director, Area Cyclone Warning Centre, said. "It is likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm during the subsequent 48 hours," he told reporters here.

Balachandran advised fishermen from venturing into the sea along Kanyakumari, Lakshdweep, and south Kerala coast on October 31.

Tamil Nadu and Puducherry received good rains in the last 24 hours with 80 places recording heavy to very heavy rains. Tiruttani in Tiruvallore district recorded the highest rainfall of 19 cm, he said.

He forecast widespread rains in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry in the next 24 hours, saying heavy rains were likely in areas like Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, Ramanathapuram and Madurai.

Official sources said Puducherry and its suburbs recorded 9 cm rain during the last 24 hours ending 8.30 a.m. on Wednesday.

Catch the latest news, live coverage and in-depth analyses from India and World. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.