Chennai, Dec 12 : The Tamil Nadu government declared a holiday for schools in Chennai and nearby districts on Thursday due to heavy rains that began on Wednesday night.

District Collectors of Villupuram, Thanjavur, Mayiladuthurai, Ramanathapuram, Dindigul, Cuddalore, and Pudukkottai have also announced holidays in schools there.

Meanwhile, the Union Territory of Puducherry has declared a holiday for both schools and colleges on Thursday.

A well-marked low-pressure area is currently positioned over the southwest Bay of Bengal off the Sri Lanka coast.

The system, with associated upper-air cyclonic circulation extending up to mid-tropospheric levels, is expected to move west-northwestward towards the Sri Lanka-Tamil Nadu coasts in the next 24 hours.

This is likely to result in heavy to very heavy rainfall in the region.

Several districts, including Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu, Tiruvannamalai, Villupuram, Kallakurichi, Cuddalore, Perambalur, Tiruchy, Sivaganga, Ramanathapuram, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, Coimbatore, Tirupur, Karur, Theni, Dindigul, Madurai, Virudhunagar, Tenkasi, and Thoothukudi, have been placed under yellow alert due to the rain forecast.

The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) has issued orange and yellow alerts for several districts of Tamil Nadu on Thursday, citing the low-pressure system.

The RMC has clarified that there is minimal chance of the system intensifying into a storm.

On Wednesday, Chennai and neighbouring districts experienced moderate to heavy rainfall, which is expected to continue over the next 24 hours.

During the northeast monsoon season (October 1 to December 10), Tamil Nadu has recorded 14 per cent excess rainfall, with 447 mm against the average of 393 mm.

Chennai has received 845 mm, which is 16 per cent above average, while Coimbatore witnessed a significant 47 per cent increase in rainfall.

Fishermen have been advised to avoid venturing into the sea, and those already at sea are urged to return to shore immediately.

This alert follows the devastation caused by Cyclone Fengal, which impacted Tamil Nadu and Puducherry between November 29 and December 1.

/IANS