Not only north India. Place near Ooty in Tamil Nadu freezes at zero degrees

The temperature has dipped to zero degrees Celsius, in the Sandynalla reservoir area in Tamil Nadu's Nilgiris, throwing normal life in the region out of gear, news agency ANI reported, Popular hill station Ooty recorded a temperature of 2.3 degrees Celsius, resulting in heavy frost in the morning. Over the past few days, the district has experienced thick fog, accompanied by cold weather conditions. During this winter, some places in Punjab and Haryana have recorded zero degrees.

Situated in the Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu, India, the Kamaraj Sagar Dam, also known as Sandynalla Reservoir, is a prominent tourist attraction, which is just 10 km away from the Ooty bus stand. Nestled on the slopes of the Wenlock Downs, it serves as both a popular picnic spot and a favored location for film shooting. Visitors frequent this site to enjoy its natural beauty, making it a noteworthy landmark in the picturesque landscapes of Tamil Nadu.




The intense cold in the upper reaches of Tamil Nadu disrupted daily life as residents, unaccustomed to such low temperatures, sought refuge indoors. Battling the bitter cold, locals mostly remained indoors, while vast expanses of grasslands in the Nilgiris district transformed into a picturesque wonderland. White frost, resembling fresh dew drops, covered the green grass in several areas of Ooty. The phenomenon, also known as white frost, created a magical ambiance. Parked vehicles in some places accumulated up to an inch of snow, highlighting the unusual and extreme weather conditions experienced in the region.

V Sivadas of the Nilagiri Enviroment Social Trust (NEST) believes the change is due to global warming and El-Nino effect. "The onset of the cold is delayed and such a climatic change is a big challenge to the Nilgiris and study should be conducted about this," he said.

According a a news report, the minimum temperature had dipped to zero degree celsius in Sandynalla region back in 2022, which was after a gap of 15 years.

Fog affects visibility

Widespread dense fog in many parts of north and northeast India has disrupted various modes of transportation. Rail traffic was particularly affected, with 18 trains to Delhi experiencing delays of up to six hours due to the foggy conditions. Satellite imagery indicated a slight reduction in fog over Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh, regions in Punjab, Haryana, west Rajasthan, Bihar, Delhi, west Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Odisha, and Assam continued to experience 'dense' to 'very dense' fog. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasts the persistence of 'dense' to 'very dense' fog and 'cold day' to 'severe cold day' conditions in north India for the next five days, indicating challenging weather conditions for road, rail, and air travel.