CHENNAI: The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC), Chennai, has forecast rain in 20 districts of Tamil Nadu till 4 pm on Monday.

According to a Daily Thanthi report, districts including Chennai, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, Cuddalore, Villupuram, Vellore, Tirupathur, Tiruvannamalai, Coimbatore, Dindigul, Theni, Madurai, Tenkasi, Tirunelveli, Kanniyakumari, Ranipet, Tirupur, Nilgiris, and Virudhunagar are expected to receive light to moderate showers, with heavy rain likely in a few places.

According to weather officials, the system over the Bay of Bengal has intensified into a cyclone named Montha. It formed on October 24 as a low-pressure area and strengthened successively into a deep depression and then a cyclone. Currently located about 480 km east of Chennai, as of 11.30 am, Cyclone Montha is moving at a speed of 16 kmph and is expected to make landfall near Kakinada, between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam, on the Andhra coast by Tuesday evening or night.

While the cyclone is expected to primarily impact coastal Andhra Pradesh, northern Tamil Nadu districts may continue to experience rain and strong winds during the day, officials added.