Authorities stated that heavy rains on the Sri Lankan coast and in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu killed at least 25 people, wrecked hundreds of homes, and jammed traffic.

Twenty people have died in recent days in Sri Lanka, most of them drowning, while five others were injured in landslides, officials said on Wednesday.

"Given the prevalence of COVID-19, the government has encouraged over 1,000 families to relocate with relatives in order to alleviate pressure on government-run centers," said Sudantha Ranasinghe, chief of Sri Lanka's Disaster Management Centre.

Sri Lanka's meteorology service said the low-pressure depression causing the rainfall was likely to travel towards Tamil Nadu on Thursday evening. Five people have already perished in the state of Tamil Nadu, the capital of which is Chennai, India's automobile manufacturing powerhouse.

The Indian Meteorological Department issued a red advisory for sections of Tamil Nadu and neighboring Andhra Pradesh, advising fishers against venturing out to sea.

State officials in Tamil Nadu evacuated hundreds of people from low-lying regions and gave food and supplies to those already impacted by the rains.

M.K. Stalin, the state's Chief Minister, stated on Twitter that he had asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to release monies from the National Disaster Relief Fund, noting that already allocated funds had been depleted.