CHENNAI: In light of the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) issuing orange and yellow alerts for heavy to very heavy rain over the next four days in the state, the Commissioner of Revenue Administration SK Prabakar has advised district collectors to take precautionary measures.

In this regard, he has written a letter to the Collectors of Tenkasi, Virudhunagar, Theni, Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Ramanathapuram, Sivagangai, Madurai, Pudukottai, Dindigul, Tirupattur, Coimbatore, Nilgiris, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, Thanjavur, Karur, Tiruchy, Mayiladuthurai, Namakkal, Erode, Salem, Dharmapuri, and Krishnagiri.

In his letter, he stated that the RMC has warned of heavy and very heavy rains, "therefore district collectors should follow standard guidelines and handle the disaster. The district administration should be made fully functional, and necessary precautions should be taken to deal with the problems caused by heavy rains." In case of any incidents, the district collectors should immediately alert the commissioner, he added.

A trough runs from the prevailing cyclonic circulation over the southwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining south Sri Lanka to Lakshadweep between 1.5 km and 4.5 km above mean sea level.

For the next two days, as many as 26 districts in the state are likely to receive heavy rain – Dindigul, Theni, Sivagangai, Madurai, Virudhunagar, Tenkasi, Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli, Kanniyakumari, Ramanathapuram, The Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Tirupur, Erode, Salem, Namakkal, Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri, Tirupattur, Karur, Tiruchirappalli, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai, and Pudukkottai.