Tuesday, December 20 2005 10:47 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Chennai: Authorities in coastal districts of Tamil Nadu continue to be on alert, as rains have been forecast for the next 24 hours, beginning at 8.30 am this morning (Dec 20, 2005), even as the deep depression over the Southwest Bay of Bengal moved 'slightly northwards' late last night, the weather office said.

The system, which lay 300 km east southeast of Cuddalore yesterday, was expected to cross between Cuddalore and Nellore in Andhra Pradesh tonight, but moved "slightly away in a northerly direction", they said.

Under its influence, moderate to heavy rains, including isolated heavy rains over North coastal Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry is likely in the next 24-hours beginning at 8.30 AM this morning.

Meanwhile, authorities have made arrangements to evacuate people from the low lying areas in the city and its suburbs. All the reservoirs have received copious inflows.

The Puliyoor lake in Tiruvallur district has breached, sending water from the lake into Red Hills, another reservoir feeding the metropolis. Surplus water from the Chembarabakkam lake in Tiruvallur district is being let out, resulting in an increase in water levels in the Cooum and Adyar rivers.

In a related development, the city has recorded its highest rainfall in 100 years. Since the advent of the North East Monsoon, Chennai and its neighbourhoods have received nearly 200 cms of rain, against the normal 75 cm during the season, official sources said.