IMD issues orange alert for south Andhra Pradesh, north Tamil Nadu coastal districts

As many as two districts in Andhra Pradesh and 11 in Tamil Nadu have been placed under the alert for Sunday.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Sunday issued an orange alert for coastal districts in south Andhra Pradesh and north Tamil Nadu as the rain continued in the two southern states with the activity expected to reduce over Tamil Nadu by the end of this month.

Andhra Pradesh government said as many as 44 people lost their lives due to the floods in the state while 16 more people remained missing.(AP )

Nellore and Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh along with Chennai, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Thiruvallur, Villupuram, Puducherry, Cuddalore, Thanjavur, Thiruvarur, Nagapattinam and Karaikal in Tamil Nadu have all been issued orange alerts for the day.

An orange alert usually indicates heavy rain accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning.

Meanwhile, IMD also said that a cyclonic circulation lies over the Comorin area. Under the influence of this, along with the strong northeasterly winds prevailing over Tamil Nadu and south Andhra Pradesh coast, light to moderate fairly widespread rainfall is very likely over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Karaikal, Kerala, Mahe, Lakshadweep area, IMD said. Scattered to fairly widespread rainfall over south coastal Andhra Pradesh, Yanam and Rayalaseema is expected during the next three days. The rainfall is forecast to decrease thereafter, according to the weather bureau.

The reduction in rainfall will come as a much-needed reprise to the two southern states that have been battered by continuous rain in the past few days. Earlier this week, the Andhra Pradesh government said as many as 44 people lost their lives due to the floods in the state while 16 more people remained missing, news agency ANI reported.

In neighbouring Tamil Nadu, chief minister MK Stalin tweeted that Chennai witnessed over 1,000mm rains in a single month for only the fourth time in the past 200 years, citing experts. He thanked key workers involved in relief works in the state and also urged officials to remain alert as more rainfall has been predicted in the coming days.

For Monday, the IMD has issued orange alerts to Prakasam, Nellore, Chittoor, YSR Kadapa, and Anantapuramu districts in Andhra Pradesh and Kanyakumari, Thirunelveli, Thoothukudi and Ramanathapuram districts in Tamil Nadu and the Idukki district in Kerala.