Chennai, Nov 26 : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin held a meeting with district collectors and monitoring officers on Tuesday to review the state's preparedness for heavy rains and a potential cyclonic storm, as forecasted by the weather department.

State Revenue Minister K.K.S.S.R. Ramachandran and Chief Secretary N. Muruganandam also participated in the virtual meeting.

An official said that the Chief Minister inquired about precautionary measures in districts including Mayiladuthurai, Villupuram, Nagapattinam, Thiruvarur, Thanjavur, and Cuddalore disc.

The district collectors assured the Chief Minister that adequate relief camps have been set up and medical teams with the necessary equipment are on standby.

Nagapattinam district has mobilised 75 boats, 125 earthmovers, 250 generators, and 281 chainsaws. While Cuddalore District has 51 boats, 242 earthmovers, 28 generators, and 104 chainsaws.

The state government has pre-positioned disaster response teams, mobilised first responders and volunteers, and ensured that state and district-level emergency control centres are operating round the clock with multi-department officials.

Following the Chief Minister's instructions, the government has deployed one State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and one National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team each in Thiruvarur, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, and Cuddalore. Additionally, two NDRF teams have been stationed in Thanjavur.

The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) in Chennai reported on Tuesday (November 26) that a depression over the southwest Bay of Bengal has intensified into a deep depression and is likely to strengthen further into a cyclonic storm by Wednesday (November 27).

The RMC stated that the system over the southwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining East Equatorial Indian Ocean is moving north-northwestwards at a speed of 12 km/h.

As of Tuesday, the system is centred over the southwest Bay of Bengal near latitude 6.3°N and longitude 82.8°E, approximately:

The weather department predicts that the system will continue to move north-northwestwards and intensify further into a cyclonic storm by November 27.

Meanwhile, Chennai and its suburbs have been experiencing widespread rainfall since Tuesday morning. Light to moderate rainfall, with occasional heavy spells, has been forecast for the region through Thursday (November 28).

The weather department has also forecast moderate thunderstorms and lightning accompanied by moderate rain for several districts, including Chennai, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Ranipet, Villupuram, Kallakkurichi, Cuddalore, Perambalur, Ariyalur, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, Thiruvarur, Thanjavur, Pudukkottai, Sivagangai, Ramanathapuram, Thoothukudi, and Tirunelveli on November 26.

/IANS