The cyclonic storm Mandous has weakened to a deep depression after making landfall on the northern coast of Tamil Nadu late on Friday night, the India Meteorological Department said in a bulletin.

Cyclone Mandous made landfall off the coast of Mamallapuram in Tamil Nadu around 10.30 pm on Friday. The storm then lay between Puducherry and the northern coast of Tamil Nadu.

In a bulletin issued at 5 am, the weather department said that a deep depression is hovering over the Tamil Nadu coast.

The weather department has predicted wind speeds will reach 55 kilomtres per hour to 65 kilometres per hour on Saturday morning along the coast of Tanil Nadu, Puducherry and South Andhra Pradesh. Heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected in North Tamil Nadu and the Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh.

Till 5.30 am on Saturday, Chennai has received more than 115 millimetres of rainfall in the last 24 hours, due to the cyclonic storm, NDTV reported. Besides the Tamil Nadu capital, the adjoining districts of Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram and Villupuram have also been put on red alert.

A red alert warns of heavy to extremely heavy rain and authorities are asked to tackle any adverse situation.

More than 16,000 police personnel and 1,500 home guards have been deployed in Chennai for security, relief and rescue tasks, authorities told PTI. A 40-member team of Tamil Nadu State Disaster Response Force and 12 District Disaster Response Force teams have been asked to stay on standby.