Sweaters out in Ooty after weeks of sizzling heat

COIMBATORE: The sizzling summer gave way to overcast skies and misty weather in The Nilgiris as temperature dropped considerably on Tuesday.

Vehicle drivers had a tough time to navigate the ghat road due to heavy mist since morning. After witnessing scorching summer days, Ooty cooled off to record a maximum of 18 degree Celsius and a minimum 13 degree Celsius on Tuesday.

It was a considerable drop as Ooty recorded its highest ever temperature of 29 degrees Celsius on April 28. It was 5.4 degrees above the average for Ooty. The previous all-time record was in 1986, when it was 28.5 degrees Celsius. The hill district also witnessed fewer days of frosting during this winter.

After a long dry spell, the summer showers on Monday evening gave some respite from heat forcing people to wear sweaters to protect from shivering cold. A tree fell on Kattabettu Road resulting in disruption of traffic. Mild showers continued on Tuesday too.

In Coimbatore, rains lashed around evening resulting in flooding beneath flyover and low-lying areas. Traffic was held up for a brief while on the Avinashi Road and other arterial roads because of the sudden downpour during the peak hours.

In Pollachi near Coimbatore, people heaved a sigh of relief as inundated roads dried up as stagnating water drained. After an hour-long heavy rain on Monday, the busy New Scheme Road appeared like a flooded waterway. Vehicles waded through, while houses and commercial buildings were inundated on the stretch. However, on Tuesday, the water drained and normalcy was restored.