Hyderabad, Oct. 23 -- : The Andhra Pradesh government has put its entire administrative machinery on high alert, as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Wednesday warned of heavy rains due to a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal, which is likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm within the next 24 hours.

"The system is currently moving towards north Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and south coastal Andhra Pradesh, and is expected to strengthen further as it approaches land by Thursday morning," a weather bulletin from the IMD said.

The IMD sounded a red alert in Prakasam, YSR Kadapa, SPS Nellore, Annamayya, Tirupati, and Chittoor districts; orange alert in Kurnool, Nandyal, Anantapur, and Sri Sathya Sai districts and yellow alert i...