Chennai, Oct 13 (IANS): The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) has issued an orange alert in many districts of Tamil Nadu till October 18.

The RMC in a statement on Sunday has forecast 204 mm of rainfall in the state during this period.

The Tamil Nadu Disaster Management Authority has geared up for any eventuality and has already put 65,000 volunteers on alert, who will be available for rescue and relief operations along with state government agencies.

In Chennai alone, 10,000 volunteers will be available for service, according to Greater Chennai Corporation authorities.

Heavy rain was expected in Tiruppur, Coimbatore, Nilgiris, Dindigul, Theni, Virudhunagar, Pudukottai, Sivaganga, Madurai, and Ramanathapuram districts from Sunday, according to the RMC.

The weather department also said that a low-pressure system over the Arabian Sea is developing into a cyclonic storm.

According to the RMC, Tamil Nadu will experience widespread rain from Sunday. Heavy to very heavy rain are predicted in the Delta districts of Tamil Nadu from Monday (October 14). Northern districts of Tamil Nadu, including Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, and Cuddalore, may experience heavy to very heavy rain.

Tamil Nadu's disaster management team is on high alert, and monitoring teams are prepared to track power outages and other electricity-related issues.

Two prevailing weather systems in the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal have pushed moisture into the region.

The RMC has forecast that most areas in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal will experience heavy to very heavy rain until October 16.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted that the northeast monsoon is likely to set in around October 17.

Typically, the northeast monsoon begins around October 20, but the IMD stated that it is common for the monsoon to set in nine days before or after this date.

A high-level meeting of ministers and officials was held last week, with Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin presiding over the meeting. The meeting discussed immediate measures, including rescue operations during heavy rain.