Weather: Ooty Freezes At 5.6°C To Become Coldest Hill Station In South; Kodaikanal Shivers At 6.6°C

Ooty shivered under intense winter conditions as temperatures in the Nilgiris district plunged sharply, making the popular hill station the coldest place in South India over the weekend. With early morning temperatures dropping to 5.6 degrees Celsius on December 14, Ooty edged past Araku Valley in Andhra Pradesh, which recorded 6.3 degrees Celsius, to claim the top spot among the chilliest locations in the southern peninsula, as per weather blogger R Pradeep John.

The onset of winter has brought a visible change across the Nilgiris, with widespread frosting reported in Ooty and surrounding areas. Residents woke up to green lawns coated with a thin layer of frost, while thick fog during the early hours led to water droplets settling on vehicles parked overnight. Locals say the cold has intensified steadily over the past few days, making it difficult to step out before sunrise. Morning walks have become shorter, and daily routines now begin later as people wait for the sun to cut through the chill.

The biting cold in Ooty was part of a broader temperature dip across several hill stations in South India. Kodaikanal recorded a low of 6.6 degrees Celsius, while Idukki's Kundala region in Kerala saw temperatures fall to 7.7 degrees. Hassan in Karnataka logged 8.0 degrees, followed by Munnar at 8.5 degrees and Coonoor at 8.8 degrees. Other well-known hill destinations such as Agumbe (9.3 degrees), Yercaud (9.4 degrees), Wayanad's Kabanigiri (10.4 degrees), Valparai (10.5 degrees) and Lambasinghi in Andhra Pradesh (11.1 degrees) also experienced cold mornings. as pr the data shared by thee weather blogger.

The chill was not limited to hill regions alone. Several interior districts of Tamil Nadu recorded minimum temperatures below 17 degrees Celsius, signalling a widespread winter pattern. Thalavadi in Erode district was among the coldest plains, recording 11.4 degrees, followed by Hosur and Denkanikottai in Krishnagiri at 13.5 degrees each. Shoolagiri recorded 14.9 degrees, while Palode and Harur in Dharmapuri district dipped to 15.2 degrees. Coimbatore saw its temperature fall to 16.3 degrees, with Salem's Omalur, Dharmapuri, Namakkal and Tirupattur also logging unusually cool mornings.

Coastal Tamil Nadu, though comparatively warmer, was not untouched by the winter spell. Several locations along the coast recorded temperatures below 21 degrees Celsius. Nagapattinam logged 19.0 degrees, Cuddalore 19.6 degrees and Puducherry 19.7 degrees. Chennai Airport recorded its first sub-20-degree temperature of the year at 19.8 degrees Celsius, a notable milestone for the city. Parts of north Chennai and its suburbs also experienced cooler-than-usual mornings, with minimum temperatures hovering around 20 degrees.

Elsewhere in the southern peninsula, Hyderabad recorded a low of 12.4 degrees, while Bengaluru Airport logged 12.9 degrees and the city itself dipped to 14.5 degrees, reflecting the widespread nature of the cold wave-like conditions.

Weather observers attribute the sharp drop in temperatures to clear skies, dry continental winds and reduced humidity levels, which are typical during winter nights. With such conditions expected to persist over the next few days, residents of hill stations like Ooty are bracing for colder mornings, while plains and coastal regions may continue to experience pleasantly cool weather.