A cyclone alert has been sounded for Tamil Nadu and Puducherry as the cyclonic storm ‘WARD’ lies 500 km east-southeast of Nagapattinam. The met department said the system is likely to move in a northwesterly direction towards the Tamil Nadu coast. Isolated heavy rains have been forecast over coastal Tamilnadu and Puducherry from this afternoon. Squally winds reaching 55-65 Kmph gusting to 75 Kmph are also likely along and off the Tamilnadu and Puducherry coasts. Fishermen have been advised not to venture out for fishing as the condition of the Sea is expected to be very rough and dangerous. The Public Secretary Mr Jothi Jagarajan said, an emergency plan for disaster management is in place and the District collectors will monitor the implementation. Twenty eight relief cyclone shelters have also been set up in Nagapattinam district, to accommodate people in the eventuality of heavy rains.