<span style="color: #222222;">In Tamil Nadu, widespread rainfall was witnessed in all the districts in the last 24 hours due to the low pressure in the Bay of Bengal.<br />''<br />'' It lays over central parts of south Bay of Bengal and likely to concentrate into a Depression over Southwest Bay of Bengal and move west-northwestwards and reach near north Tamil Nadu coast by the early tomorrow morning. Thereafter, it is likely to continue to move west-northwestwards and cross north Tamil Nadu and adjoining south Andhra Pradesh coast between Karaikal and Sriharikota around Cuddalore by tomorrow evening.<br />''<br />''The Met Department has predicted heavy to very heavy rains in the next 24 hours. It has issued a high alert in the state as a low-pressure area has formed over coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. The State Government has declared holidays today and tomorrow in nine districts. These are Chennai, Kancheepuram, Thiruvallur, Chengalpattu, Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, Thiruvarur and Mayiladuthurai – in wake of the weather forecast. Red alerts have been issued for Cuddalore, Viluppuram, Sivaganga, Ramanathapuram and Karaikal today.<br />''<br />''AIR correspondent reports, The Met Department has predicted heavy to very heavy rains in 17 districts in the next 24 hours. Fifty-three important reservoirs in the state have reached more than 76 percent water even as rains are still continuing. More than thirty-three thousand boats have returned back to the shore. The State Government has roped in more than one lakh volunteers in the rescue and relief missions.<br />''<br />''The Government has allotted 513 crores to immediately strengthen the embankments in eleven districts including  Chengalpet and Thiruvallur in low-lying areas to prevent inundation by seawater. Nagapattinam has received the maximum rainfall of 31 centimetres.<br />''<br />''Some areas in Thiruvarur and Thanjavur districts have experienced more than 20 centimetres rainfall in the last 24 hours. The State Government has appealed to all the farmers to register themselves under the Prime Minister's Crop Insurance Scheme in short notice. </span><br />