Chennai, Dec 25 (IANS): As predicted by weather department, heavy rains lashed Chennai and adjoining districts of Tamil Nadu. The IMD has predicted heavy rains in 13 districts of Tamil Nadu on December 25 and 26.

The IMD had predicted that the influence of depression over the Southwest Bay of Bengal will lead to heavy rains in Chennai and other districts for the next 48 hours.

The depression over the southwest Bay of Bengal has moved southwestward and lay centered on Sunday over southwest Bay of Bengal, off the Sri Lanka coast.

This is likely to move southwestwards over Sri Lanka coast across Sri Lanka coast around Trincomalee by Sunday noon and move west-southwestwards and will move continue to spell rains on Monday also.

Heavy rains are expected due to this weather system in Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Villupuram, Chengalpattu and Cuddalore districts of Tamil Nadu.

However, the weather department has also predicted isolated light rains over Ranipet, Vellore, Tiruvannamalai, Tirupathur, Ariyalur, Perambalur, Kallakurichi, Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, Myladuthurai, Thiruvarur, Pudukottai, Tiruchi, Sivagangai, Tenkasi and Tirunelveli districts of the state.

The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) has also predicted heavy rains with thunderstorms in these districts during the next 48 hours.