Chennai: The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a ‘red alert’ in Tamil Nadu for April 30 and May 1. The press release, issued by the IMD, said Cyclone Fani is likely to hit the state over two days and heavy rainfall is expected in coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

According to the IMD, a low-pressure region with the potential to morph into a tropical cyclone is brewing in the far east of the Bay of Bengal which might strike the coast of southern India in the next few days.

The tropical depression will move towards northeast after it approaches Tamil Nadu on Monday and will continue on the same path till Tuesday. From Wednesday to Friday, the track of the depression will change slightly in the north-northeastward direction along the coastline of Andhra Pradesh, the Met department said.

The National Disaster Management Authority wrote on Twitter, "Well marked low-pressure system over Equatorial Indian Ocean & adjoining the southeast Bay of Bengal is very likely to intensify into a cyclone."

IMD said that the low pressure is likely to intensify into a depression by Friday morning and then into a cyclonic storm by April 28. The cyclonic storm will further intensify while crossing the Tamil Nadu coast around April 30, with a maximum wind speed of 90-100 km per hour.

More information awaited.