The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) has issued a third-level cyclone alert for seven ports in Tamil Nadu: Chennai, Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Ennore, Kattupalli, Puducherry and Karaikal.

The alert is due to a low-pressure system over the central western Bay of Bengal, which has weakened into a depression.

The weather department predicts rain accompanied by strong winds on December 24 and 25 as the system moves west-southwest toward the southwest Bay of Bengal, near the coasts of north Tamil Nadu and south Andhra Pradesh.