Chennai/Ooty: Eight districts are bracing for heavy rain from Sunday as a low-pressure area over the Arabian Sea is expected to intensify into a depression. The collectors of Coimbatore, The Nilgiris, Tirupur, Dindigul, Theni, Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, and Tenkasi are preparing for evacuation and rehabilitation if needed as the weather bureau has issued red and orange alerts for these districts.The state govt, which held a meeting with the collectors on Friday, has positioned two NDRF and three SDRF teams in Coimbatore and The Nilgiris. The authorities are focusing on landslip-prone areas, stocking up on food supplies, and establishing relief camps.According to the India Meteorological Department, the weather system is "likely to move nearly northwards and concentrate into a depression in the next 24 hours".

The forecast is "heavy to very heavy rain" at isolated places over the Nilgiris and ghat areas of Coimbatore on Sunday. On Monday and Tuesday, "isolated heavy to very heavy rain with extremely heavy rain at one or two places is likely to occur over Nilgiris and ghat areas of Coimbatore". Theni, Dindigul, and Tenkasi districts are also expected to experience "heavy to very heavy rain" during this period.Collectors have been asked to prioritise evacuation from areas at high risk of landslips.

"The districts have been told to keep school buildings ready to accommodate evacuees. Fire and rescue personnel are to be ready to respond. The highways department is instructed to immediately begin road restoration efforts if needed. Power saws and infrastructure should be available," a senior official said. Additional chief secretary and commissioner for revenue administration M Sai Kumar convened the meeting.The Nilgiris district, already experienced significant rainfall over the past ten days. "The district is well prepared for the monsoon. As many as 42 teams have been formed for disaster management," Nilgiris collector Lakshmi Bhavya Tanneeru told reporters. As many as 456 relief camps are kept ready across the district, she added. A 24/7 control room has been established with a toll-free number, 1077, for the public to report emergencies.