Chennai, Oct 25 (IANS): The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) announced on Monday that the northeast monsoon season has arrived in Tamil Nadu with rains hitting the state.

The northeast monsoon which provides most of the annual rainfall of Tamil Nadu has touched the shores of the state, IMD Deputy Director General, Chennai, S. Balachandran told reporters.

"The southwest monsoon has withdrawn from the entire country while the northeast monsoon has arrived in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala, south Karnataka, and coastal Andhra Pradesh."

According to the IMD, northeast monsoon will bring in thunderstorms and light to moderate rains in parts of Chennai and around in the next 48 hours. Weather is cloudy around Chennai and its suburbs with rains at certain places.

The IMD predicted thunderstorms with light and heavy rains over Tirunelveli, Tuticorin, Ramanathapuram, Virudhunagar, Thenkasi, Madurai, and Kanniyakumari districts.

The agency has also forecast the formation of a low-pressure area in central parts of south Bay of Bengal during the next fourty eight hours due to a cyclonic circulation over the southeast Bay of Bengal.

The northeast monsoon is slated to bring in 438 mm of rainfall which is around 48 per cent of Tamil Nadu's annual rainfall.