Chennai, Apr 24 (IANS): The IMD's Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) here has predicted heavy rains for the next 2 days in 11 districts of Tamil Nadu and a 'Yellow' alert has also been issued.

According to RMC scientist P. Senthamarai Kannan, rains will lash Erode, Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Tirupur, Theni, Dindigul, Madurai, Tenkasi, Virudhunagar, Tirunelveli and Kanniyakumari districts of the state in the next 2 days.

The rains are expected due to a cyclonic circulation over south Tamil Nadu in the next 48 hours.

The RMC also issued a thunderstorm warning for the state stating that light to moderate rains are expected over a few places with thunderstorm and lightning.

Gusty wind speed in the range of 30 to 40 kmph is also expected at isolated places in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry in the next two days.

Weather officials have also predicted that due to the rains in the next 48 hours maximum temperature will be around 36 degree Celsius while the minimum temperature will be around 27 degree Celsius.