Tamil Nadu’s Nilgiris Covered In White Frost; Minimum Temperature Drops To 0 Degree Celsius

Winter is currently sending chills across various parts of India. One such place is Thalaikundha village in Tamil Nadu’s Nilgiris district. It experienced temperatures dropping below 0°C. On Sunday, the village, situated in the elevated regions of Tamil Nadu, registered a minimum temperature of 0°C. The intense cold took its toll on the residents, who are unaccustomed to such extreme temperatures, prompting them to quickly seek shelter indoors and causing disruptions to normal life. In response to the severe cold, residents reportedly stayed indoors. Ooty, a prominent hill station in South India, documented a minimum temperature of 7.5 degrees Celsius. The vast grasslands in the Nilgiris district took on a magical appearance, resembling a wonderland with fresh dewdrops, commonly known as white frost, glistening on the lush green grass.

White frost was noticed across different areas of the hill station, encompassing Ooty Nagar, Thalikunda, HPF, Kanthal, and Fingerpost. Parked vehicles bore a coating of up to an inch of snow, posing challenges for residents to commute via cars.

Local Meteorological (MeT) officials report significant fluctuations in both day and night temperatures over the past few weeks. Daytime temperatures have consistently surpassed 25 degrees Celsius during this period.

Balakrishnan, assistant director of the horticulture department, mentioned, “Last Saturday, the lowest minimum temperature at the Government Botanical Garden (GBG) was 5.5 degrees Celsius. GBG has not experienced any frost so far.” Compared to the previous winter, where Ooty’s temperature dropped to 1.5 degrees Celsius on December 29, covering the town in a white blanket of frost, this December saw no frost initially due to continuous rainfall.

Weather experts predict that rains may persist in the Nilgiris until the first week of January this year. Santhosh Krish, a weatherman based in Coimbatore, explained that during a robust monsoon, the weather pattern tends to be unpredictable, creating the likelihood of rain in the Nilgiris region extending into the first week of January.