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Between Cuddalore and Pamban, the cyclonic storm 'Gaja' is set to make landfall on Thursday evening bringing heavy rainfall to Tamil Nadu with a wind speed gusting up to 100 kmph, the Met office said.
Tamil Nadu government has declared that 30,500 rescue personnel are on standby.
The district collectors of Tiruvarur, Thanjavur, Pudukottai, Nagapattinam, Cuddalore and Ramanathapuram have declared a holiday for schools and colleges on Thursday.
The Central Water Commission (CWC) has advised constant vigil over dams.
The CWC had advised action as per the Standard Operating Procedure as heavy rainfall in catchment areas could fill up the dams fast in less than 24 hours.
While reiterating caution to fishermen to not venture into the sea, the state government has said that a comprehensive list of do's and don'ts have been circulated to the people on cyclone eve.
The red column in the Met bulletins only indicate that steps to mitigate possible disaster should be taken by the government which has already been done and people should not panic.
The Met office had warned storm surge of about 1.0 metres likely to inundate low-lying areas of Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, Pudukkottai and Ramanathapuram districts of Tamil Nadu and Karaikal district of Puducherry at the time of landfall.
The IMD also cautioned about major damage to thatched huts. "Roof tops may blow off" and communication and power lines may be affected it said adding standing crops could also be hit besides water intrusion in low lying areas.
(With PTI inputs)
