Tamil Nadu weather alert: Red alert issued in 8 districts amid heavy rains - check IMD's forecast

Chennai weather today: Heavy rains lashed Chennai on Tuesday along with several other districts in Tamil Nadu, as the IMD predicted that more rains are likely to occur in isolated places of the state.

The Tamil Nadu weather today remained rainy as Northeast monsoon intensified across the state.

Chief Minister MK Stalin along with top officials inspected the situation on Tuesday and directed them to implement precautionary measures in view of the heavy rains in Chennai and other places.

Waterlogging was reported from a few areas in Rameswaram, while 250 cusecs of water from the Cooum River barrage was released at Avadi and Pudhuchathiram after heavy rainfall.

Chennai weather: IMD issues red alert in 8 districts

Following the heavy rainfall and gloomy Chennai weather, the IMD issued a red alert in eight districts of Tamil Nadu.

The IMD issued red alerts for Villupuram, Cuddalore, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, Tiruvallur, Thanjavur, Pudukottai and Ramanathapuram, an official of the Regional Meteorological Centre said.

“Heavy rain is likely in the entire north coastal belt, but extremely heavy rain is expected in the above districts,” the official said.

Chennai, Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Kallakurichi, Ariyalur, Perambalur, Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari have been placed under an orange alert.

Low-pressure area in Bay of Bengal

The Chennai rains and Tamil Nadu weather are triggered by a low pressure area that has formed over the southwest Bay of Bengal at 5:30 pm today, under the influence of an upper cyclonic circulation over the South Andaman Sea and the southeast Bay of Bengal, said RMC Chennai Director B Amudha.

“It is likely to move northwestwards and concentrate into a depression over the southwest and adjoining west central Bay of Bengal of north Tamil Nadu and South Andhra coast by the afternoon of 22nd October, 2025,” she told news agency ANI.

“Yesterday's well-marked low-pressure area over the southeast Arabian Sea persisted over the same region at 8:30 hours IST today,” the IMD official added.

This low-pressure area is likely to move slowly westwards and concentrate into a depression during the next 24 hours. From the depression stage, it is likely to become a deep depression, she said.

“For today and tomorrow, we have given an extremely heavy rainfall warning to the coastal districts of Tamil Nadu. Fishermen are advised not to venture into the sea from 21st to 25th October,” Amudha added.

Tamil Nadu weather: CM Stalin takes stock

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin took stock of the situation in view of the Chennai weather, and held a meeting with district collectors through video conference

He directed them to keep relief camps ready for people affected by rain.

Stalin asked officials to keep essentials including food, drinking water and medicine ready for people affected by the Tamil Nadu rains.

To mitigate the damage caused by rain, the CM advised the teams to be ready with necessary equipment like JCB machines, boats, motor pumps, trucks and saws.